PM Modi continues to attack Congress and DMK for their decision to cede Katchatheevu island in Palk Strait to Sri Lanka in 1974. He connects this with Congress’s ‘historic failures’ in safeguarding India’s territorial integrity. The Prime Minister questions whether Congress, who he claims divided the country, can be trusted to protect it. Union Minister Hardeep Puri also criticizes Congress and DMK for their roles in relinquishing the territory. BJP receives support from former foreign secretary Harsh Shringla, who condemns Nehru and Indira Gandhi for giving away the island without obtaining reciprocal concessions from Sri Lanka. The attacks from the ruling party coincide with a shift in Congress’s stance on the issue, with some party members defending Indira Gandhi’s 1974 deal.