Katchatheevu Island Dispute Resurfaces in India Ahead of Elections
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Katchatheevu is a tiny, uninhabited island controlled by Sri Lanka but claimed by India. It has sparked a political controversy in India ahead of elections.
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India ceded the island to Sri Lanka in 1974 under PM Indira Gandhi, which PM Modi has criticized as a mistake by the Congress party.
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Tamil Nadu politicians have regularly challenged Sri Lanka's control over the island and arrested Indian fishermen, making it a sensitive local issue.
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The BJP is accused of using the long-standing Katchatheevu dispute to gain support in Tamil Nadu before elections.
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While Indian ministers HAVE critiqued the 1974 agreement, the government has said in court that getting the island back would require "going to war" with Sri Lanka.