In retort to Rahul Gandhi’s ‘match-fixing’ jibe, BJP slams Congress’s ‘deal-fixing’ of Katchatheevu island

While speaking at at the INDIA bloc’s “Loktantra Bachao (Save Democracy)” rally in Delhi earlier in the day, Gandhi also asserted that if the BJP succeeds in its endeavours, the country’s Constitution will be changed and people’s rights taken away. This is not an ordinary election but one to save the country’s democracy and the Constitution, Gandhi said speaking at the rally in Ramlila Maidan on account of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest by the ED.

Addressing a press conference in Delhi on it, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla also said that divisive politics is in the “DNA” of the main opposition. The Congress did not hesitate to even allow the country’s partition on the lines of religion in 1947 leaving a portion of Jammu and Kashmir under Pakistan’s occupation, he added.

VIDEO | “Today, all the ‘Kauravas’ of corruption have gathered at Ramlila Maidan in the name of ‘Loktantra Bachao’, to save whatever limited existence they have. They have ‘no mission, no vision’, and their only focus is on commission, dynasty profession, personal ambition and… pic.twitter.com/W4JpluPcrB

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 31, 2024

“Today scion of the Congress’ first family, joined by his party’s ally (DMK) in South, talks about dividing the country on the lines of caste and language in their bid to create North-South divide following the divide and rule policy of the British,” he charged.

The matter regarding Katchatheevu island has been brought up in an attempt to gain political traction after PM Modi on Sunday cited a media report to assert that new facts reveal that the Congress “callously” gave away Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka. The PM’s post on X is based on documents obtained by BJP Tamil Nadu chief K Annamalai. According to the report, Jawaharlal Nehru once even remarked that he would not hesitate “in giving up claims to the island” altogether.

“Eye opening and startling! New facts reveal how Congress callously gave away Katchatheevu. This has angered every Indian and reaffirmed in people’s minds- we can’t ever trust Congress,” he said on X, sharing the report. “Weakening India’s unity, integrity and interests has been Congress’ way of working for 75 years and counting,” he added.

Eye opening and startling!

New facts reveal how Congress callously gave away #Katchatheevu.

This has angered every Indian and reaffirmed in people’s minds- we can’t ever trust Congress!

Weakening India’s unity, integrity and interests has been Congress’ way of working for…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 31, 2024

Following the PM’s post, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge responded and said that Katchatheevu island was given to Sri Lanka as part of a friendly agreement in 1974. He also reminded the Modi government that it too had undertaken a similar “friendly gesture” towards Bangladesh on exchange of border enclaves.