Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has said PM Narendra Modi “lacks courage to condemn Sri Lanka or stand up to China”. The comments come as the BJP and the DMK spar over Katchatheevu ahead of the Lok Sabha elections 2024, with Stalin also citing China's territorial aggression and bid to rename 30 locations in Arunachal Pradesh.


"China is claiming many places in Arunachal Pradesh. Thirty or more places have been named in Chinese language. What are you going to say about it? You (PM Modi) don't have the guts to condemn Sri Lanka and oppose China,” Stalin said.


"When that is the case, how can he talk about Katchatheevu?" he added.














Addressing an election campaign rally, Stalin sought to know if Prime Minister Modi had raised the issue of the return of Katchatheevu during his visit to Sri Lanka. 


According to a PTI report, Stalin said that he had, on May 26, 2022, sought the retrieval of Katchatheevu during PM Modi's visit. "Do you remember that?" Stalin added, seeking to address Modi, before accusing him of staging drama on the issue. 


Stalin also expressed his surprise at the way the Centre had furnished information to the petitioner under the Right to Information (RTI) Act within four working days of receiving the application.

 


















 


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Earlier, launching a scathing attack on the Congress and the DMK, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had labelled them "family units" solely focused on promoting their own kin. "They don’t care for anyone else. Their callousness on Katchatheevu has harmed the interests of our poor fishermen and fisherwomen in particular," he stated.