'Mouthpiece Of RSS-BJP': Chidambaram Accuses Jaishankar Of 'Somersault' On Katchatheevu Island Row

Congress leader P Chidambaram questioned External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's consistency on the Katchatheevu island row, pointing out that detentions of fishermen have occurred under various govts.

In a sharp retort to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's comments on the Katchatheevu island row, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Monday criticised the minister's alleged change in position, referring to him as a "mouthpiece of the RSS-BJP". Chidambaram's response came after Jaishankar reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi's accusations against the Congress regarding the island row.

"Tit for tat is old. Tweet for Tweet is the new weapon," Chidambaram wrote on X. He then referred to a previous RTI reply dated 27-1-2015, from the period when Jaishankar was still the Foreign Minister. Chidambaram, a former Union finance minister, claimed a contradiction in Jaishankar's current stance compared to the justification provided in the RTI reply regarding India's acknowledgment of Sri Lanka's ownership of the island.

"Will Foreign Minister Mr. Jaishankar please refer to the RTI reply dated 27-1-2015. I believe that Mr Jaishankar was the FM on 27-1-2015. The Reply justified the circumstances under which India acknowledged that a small island belonged to Sri Lanka. Why is the Foreign Minister and his ministry doing a somersault now? How quickly can people change colours. From a suave liberal Foreign Service officer to a smart  Foreign Secretary to a mouthpiece of the RSS-BJP, life and times of Mr Jaishankar will be recorded in the annals of acrobatic sports," he wrote on X.

Chidambaram further questioned Jaishankar's consistency on the matter, pointing out that detentions of fishermen have occurred under various governments, including when Jaishankar served as a foreign service officer and later as Foreign Secretary.

"It is true that Fishermen were detained in the last 50 years. Likewise, India has detained many SL fishermen. Every government has negotiated with Sri Lanka and freed our fishermen. This has happened when Mr Jaishankar was a foreign service officer and when he was Foreign Secretary and when he is Foreign Minister. What has changed for Mr Jaishankar to launch a tirade against the Congress and DMK? Were not Fishermen detained by Sri Lanka when Mr Vajpayee was PM and BJP was in power and in alliance with different political parties of TN? Were not fishermen detained by Sri Lanka when Mr Modi was in power since 2014?" he further stated in another post.

Jaishankar Defends Modi Government's Position On Katchatheevu Island Row

Earlier in the day, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar defended the government's position on the Katchatheevu issue, asserting that previous Congress-led administrations had shown indifference towards the matter. He claimed that former prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi had disregarded legal views opposing the transfer of the island to Sri Lanka.

Jaishankar clarified that the issue had been a subject of frequent discussion between the Centre and state governments, with him personally responding to queries from Tamil Nadu's chief minister on multiple occasions, news agency PTI reported.

Taking aim at the DMK, Jaishankar accused the party of being complicit in the agreement reached in 1974, which transferred Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka. "The Congress and DMK raised the issue in Parliament as if they bear no responsibility for it, while they are the parties which did it," the Minister remarked.

He emphasised the Modi government's efforts to secure the release of Indian fishermen detained by Sri Lanka and called for diplomatic solutions to address the longstanding issue.

Jaishankar highlighted that over 6,000 Indian fishermen had been detained by Sri Lanka in the past 20 years, underscoring the need for dialogue and cooperation with the Sri Lankan government to resolve the matter.

"In 20 years, 6,184 Indian fishermen have been detained by Sri Lanka and their 1,175 fishing vessels seized by the neighbouring country. It is the Narendra Modi government which has been working to ensure that the Indian fishermen are released," he said, further emphasising, "We have to find a solution. We have to sit down and work it out with the Sri Lankan government."

He asserted that his remarks aimed to dispel misinformation as the masses were misled about the matter and sought to inform the people of Tamil Nadu about the issue.