Kachchatheevu islet: Karuna condemns Centre’s position

Update: 2013-09-02 00:18 GMT
Taking exception to Centre’s position in the Supreme Court over ceding of Kachchatheevu to Sri Lanka, DMK chief M Karunanidhi on Sunday said there was evidence that the islet belonged to and was under the administrative control of the King of Ramanathapuram.

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.

‘.. Centre has submitted information not based on facts in the Supreme Court. The Centre’s affidavit in the Supreme Court, after Sri Lankan Minister Peiris’ statement last week in Delhi that Kachchatheevu was a closed matter, comes like an vocal accompaniment,’ Karunanidhi said in a statement.

‘It could stage a setback (for Tamil Nadu) in this issue.

Centre’s decision is condemnable. However, since justice and honesty are on Tamil Nadu’s side, we hope that the Supreme Court will pass justice on our side,’ he said.

Karunanidhi also referred to the Tamil Nadu chief minister’s submission in the Supreme Court that Kachchatheevu belonged to India and it was ceded to Lanka

He added that the cessation was invalid as it was done without necessary Parliamentary approval.

He also referred to the resolution of the Tamil Eelam Supporters’ Organisation, an organisation revived by him last year, to move the apex court on the issue, since the Centre had not gone by Article 368 of the Constitution which mandates Parliamentary approval for any ceding of the country’s territory to another nation.

A Supreme Court bench, comprising, the then Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir, Justices F M Ibrahim Kalifullah and Vikramjith Sen had ordered for issuing of notice to the Centre on the plea he had filed on behalf of TESO, Karunanidhi said.

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