For Nehru, Katchatheevu was little island of no importance: Jaishankar

Intensifying attack on Congress on the Katchatheevu issue, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar blamed former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

He said that under the Congress rule, the Katchatheevu Island was given away to Sri Lanka in 1974 and the fishing rights were given away in 1976.

Jaishankar said that in 1961, Nehru wrote, "I attach no importance at all to this little island and I would have no hesitation in giving up our claim to it. I do not like matters like this pending indefinitely and being raised again and again in parliament."

"So, to Pandit Nehru, this was a little island, it had no importance, he saw it as a nuisance," said the BJP leader.

"This view continued on to Indira Gandhi as well," he added.

Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP has raked up the sensitive issue. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday targeted the DMK, alleging the ruling party of Tamil Nadu did nothing to safeguard the state's interests.

Modi cited a media report that said former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi in collusion with former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, agreed to give the island to Sri Lanka.

Modi said that the report has unmasked DMK's double standards. He added that Congress and DMK are family units and their callousness on the issue harmed the interests of poor fishermen.