Salient points of press conference of BJP National Spokesperson Shri Shehzad Poonawalla

 

Salient points of Bharatiya Janata Party’s National Spokesperson Shri Shehzad Poonawalla’s Press Conference

 

Former PM Indira Gandhi government, and then Tamil Nadu CM Karunanidhi, handed over the country's ‘Katchatheevu’ island to Sri Lanka, compromising the integrity and interests of the nation

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‘Katchatheevu’ island was a source of livelihood for fishermen from Tamil Nadu, and Indira’s Congress government handed over it to Sri Lanka

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Jawaharlal Nehru remarked that, "I would have no hesitation in giving up our claims on the island." Regarding the illegal occupation of Aksai Chin, he indifferently stated, "Not a blade of grass grows there, what difference does make it, if it goes away?"

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In 1947, the country was divided on the basis of religion, and today, the prince of the Congress Party's attempts to sow division in the nation based on caste, language, and North-South divide

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Congress party's consistent policy has been to betray the country, undermining national integrity, unity, and sovereignty. It is inherent in the DNA of Congress to disintegrate India

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INDI alliance leaders are orchestrating a malicious conspiracy to tarnish the nation's image by sowing seeds of division and casting doubt upon the integrity of democratic institutions

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Congress party has consistently prioritised its own ambitions and the interests of its family over the welfare of the nation, showing no hesitation in dividing the country for personal gains

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Congress Party has long been accustomed to looting the country's land and property, treating it as their own personal possession

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Bharatiya Janata Party National Spokesperson Shri Shehzad Poonawalla addressed a press conference at the party’s headquarters in New Delhi on Sunday. During the press conference, Shri Shehzad Poonawalla criticised the Congress for relinquishing the ‘Katchatheevu’ island to Sri Lanka during their tenure. Shri Poonawalla accused the Congress of betraying national interests by giving away Indian land to another country. This move jeopardised the livelihoods of Tamil Nadu’s fishermen and tarnished the glorious history of the nation.

 

Shri  Poonawalla stated that a prominent newspaper has published a reply to an RTI query filed by Tamil Nadu’s BJP state President Shri K. Annamalai. The documents and notes that have come to light in response will shock the nation and reveal that the mindset of the Congress is inclined towards dividing the country. Shri Poonawalla further accused the congress party for considering the land of the nation as the personal possession of their family and they transferred it to someone else secretly. Shri Poonawalla revealed that in 1974, during the tenure of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's government, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi of the DMK party was ordered to transfer the Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka. Shri Poonawalla further stated that the island was not just a piece of land; it was an integral part of Bharat, an inseparable part of Tamil Nadu, a vital source of livelihood for the local fishermen. Shri Poonawalla revealed that Katchatheevu was handed over to Sri Lanka for the benefit of their own family, disregarding the integrity of the nation.

 

Shri Shehzad Poonawalla exposed Rahul Gandhi's criticism of "match-fixing" in the INDI alliance's rally, highlighting his own family's history of commission and deal fixing. Shri Poonawalla referred to a newspaper report stating that on May 10, 1961, Jawaharlal Nehru dismissed the importance of Katchatheevu island. Shri Poonawalla highlighted Jawaharlal Nehru's statement, "I would have no hesitation in giving up our claims on the island. I do not like this pending matter indefinitely and being raised again and again." Shri Poonawalla pointed out Nehru's indifferent attitude towards territorial issues, citing examples like the Aksai Chin and Katchatheevu incidents. Shri Poonawalla quoted Nehru's statement indicating negligence towards these matters despite their significance.

 

BJP National Spokesperson Shri Shehzad Poonawalla highlighted the assertions made by the former Attorney-General for India, M. C. Setalvad, emphasising India's strong claim over the island of Katchatheevu. Shri Poonawalla cited historical evidence indicating India's legal and continuous control over the area from 1875 to 1948 under the rule of the Raja of Ramnad, also known as Ramanathapuram, thereby reinforcing India's rights over the region, including fisheries and other privileges.

 

BJP National Spokesperson highlighted a third affirmation from MEA Joint Secretary Law and Treaties, Krishna Rao, emphasising India's robust legal stance and advocating for its utilisation to safeguard fishermen's rights. Shri Poonawalla reiterated that senior joint secretaries, legal officers, and historical evidence collectively affirm that Katchatheevu rightfully belongs to India, but Nehru ji calls it a tiny piece of land, and we don't need it. Shri Poonawalla highlighted the deceitful actions of Indira Gandhi's government in 1968, when they denied any proposal to hand over Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka despite opposition objections. However, in 1973-74, they surreptitiously handed over the island to Sri Lanka, disregarding India's integrity and interests.

 

Shri Shehzad Poonawalla posed critical questions to the INDI alliance and Congress.

 

·      Firstly, Shri Shehzad Poonawalla questioned whether the decision to hand over Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka compromised national interests, integrity, and sovereignty?

·      Secondly, Shri Poonawalla queried why the First family unilaterally relinquished India's claims on its territory despite available evidence?  

·      The third question directed towards both DMK and Congress by Shri Poonawalla is whether their actions, despite their claims of championing Tamil pride, culture, people, and language, constitute a direct assault on the rights and interests of the Tamil people?

·      Shri Poonawlla further questions if their decision was not a betrayal of the livelihoods of Tamil Nadu's fishermen and a tampering with the state's glorious history?

·      The fourth question posed by Shri Poonawalla is whether it's the first time Congress has taken such a step, highlighting that Congress's DNA has a history of compromising the nation's interests?

 

Shri Poonawalla pointed out that Aksai Chin was handed over to China under illegal occupation, and thousands of kilometres of our land in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir were handed over to Pakistan. He cited examples like Coco Island, Cabo Valley, and Siachen, and accused Congress of consistently treating the nation's property as its own and historically compromising it.

 

BJP National Spokesperson Shri Shehzad Poonawalla thrashed the Congress for hosting the ‘Maha Rally’ in Ramlila Maidan and speaking of saving the country by putting a dot on its name are actually coming together to protect their families and corruption. Shri Poonawalla highlighted that the Congress consistently plots to tarnish the reputation of democratic institutions by sowing doubts about dividing the country and inciting unrest. Shri Poonawalla further stated that the DNA of the Congress party has a nature of fragmenting the unity, integrity and sovereignty of the nation. Shri Poonawalla further thrashed the congress party for having malicious intent to divide and betray the nation and compromise the national interest. Shri Poonawalla accused the congress party for prioritising its own interests over the interests of the nation.

 

Shri Poonawalla further pointed out that the Congress party has practised a policy of "divide and rule" in politics from 1947 to 2024. In 1947  the Congress party partitioned the Nation on the basis of religion. Shri Poonawalla further stated that the Yuvraj of the Congress's first family works to divide the country based on caste, language, and on the basis of North-South divide. Shri Poonawalla accused the Congress party of carrying out the same divide and rule policy akin to the British. Shri Poonawalla criticised Rahul Gandhi for saying that ‘India is not a nation’.

 

Shri Poonawalla challenged the Congress members who are protesting to save the unity and integrity of the nation should come forward and answer for their alleged crimes. Shri Poonawalla accused the Congress party for being hypocritical that they handed over the Katchatheevu Island compromising India’s integrity yet they have the audacity to accuse the Indian Army's surgical strike of being bloodshed and demanding proof of the surgical strike. Shri Poonawalla, targeting the INDI Alliance, stated that Gandhi family partitioned the nation, and handed over the Katchatheevu Island to Sri Lanka. Even after this, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi says that India is not one country, and DMK leader A. Raja says that India is not one country but each state is a separate country. Today, a Congress party MP says that the southern states should declare themselves a separate country. However, the leaders of the INDI Alliance, who claim to be saving the Constitution, are not refuting this statement. Rahul Gandhi, who talks about match-fixing, should be told which deal he fixed, under which he handed over Aksai Chin to China and illegally handed over PoK to Pakistan.

 

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