Take Katchatheevu on 99-year lease from Sri Lanka, Vijay urges Modi

Chennai: Slamming the DMK and BJP-led governments at the state and centre over the fishermen issue, Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam chief, actor-politician Vijay, on Friday said retrieving Katchatheevu from Sri Lanka will be the only permanent solution to end the sufferings of Tamil Nadu fishermen.

Till such time it is done, Katchatheevu should be taken on a 99-year lease, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his ongoing visit to the island nation, should get such a pact finalised, he said.

Vijay, in a statement, blamed the DMK's "hunger for power," for the ceding of Katchatheevu in 1974. From 1999 to 2014, when the DMK was part of the government at the Centre it did not care about Katchatheevu, he alleged in a statement.

On April 2, the DMK government got a resolution passed in the state Assembly batting for retrieval of Katchatheevu, which was a "drama, an eye-wash," and it was eyeing the 2026 Assembly polls, he said, and condemned the ruling party.

Vijay accused the BJP-led regime at the Centre of partiality on Katchatheevu and Tamil Nadu fishermen issue. While the Centre protected fishermen from states, including Gujarat, it gave up on Tamil Nadu fishermen, he alleged.

The TVK founder said Modi's line of negotiation should be aimed at ending the sufferings of Indian fishermen and it shall be guided by the stand that "Katchatheevu is India's rightful land," and his visit should be beneficial to both Sri Lankan Tamils and the Indian fishermen.

Vijay addressed Modi as "Ondriya prathamar," which is "union prime minister."

Prime Minister Modi arrived in Sri Lanka on Friday evening.