Journalism of Courage
Taking exception to Centres position in the Supreme Court over ceding of Kachchatheevu to Sri Lanka,DMK chief M Karunanidhi Sunday said there was evidence that the islet belonged to and was under the administrative control of the King of Ramanathapuram.
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The Centre had on Friday submitted in the apex court that no Indian territory,including Kachchatheevu,was ceded to Sri Lanka,and the question of retrieval did not arise.
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8230;Centre has submitted information not based on facts in the Supreme Court. The Centres affidavit in the Supreme Court,after Sri Lankan Minister Peiriss statement last week in Delhi that Kachchatheevu was a closed matter,comes like a vocal accompaniment, Karunanidhi said in a statement.
It could stage a setback for Tamil Nadu in this issue. Centres decision is condemnable. However,since justice and honesty are on Tamil Nadus side,we hope that the Supreme Court will pass justice on our side, he said.
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Karunanidhi also referred to the Tamil Nadu Chief Ministers submission in the Supreme Court that Kachchatheevu belonged to India and it was ceded to Lanka and it was invalid as it was done without necessary Parliamentary approval.He said fishermen of Tamil Nadu have been using the islet since ages for drying their nets. Kachchatheevu was under the control of the King of Ramanathapuram,until it was taken on lease by a Dutch company in 1660,he said.
