'Show belligerence to China, not Sri Lanka': Chidambaram warns Centre against straining relations with Colombo over Kachchatheevu

Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday cautioned the Centre that any "untruthful and belligerent statement" on Kachchatheevu will bring the Sri Lankan government and the 35 lakh Tamils into confrontation. He said before External Affairs Minister Jaishankar and others make statements straining the relations between India and Sri Lanka, they should remember that there are 25 lakh Sri Lankan Tamils and 10 lakh Indian Tamils living in Sri Lanka. 

Chidambaram said let the government show its belligerence to China. "Under the BJP government, China has occupied 2000 square km of Indian territory and is fortifying the area," he said, adding China is on a re-naming spree and is merrily changing the names of villages and landmarks. "Why is the Foreign Minister subdued in his response to the actions of China?" he asked. 

Jaishankar on Monday claimed that prime ministers from the Congress displayed indifference about Katchatheevu island as if they did not care and gave away Indian fishermen's rights despite legal views to the contrary. He said Prime ministers such as Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi dubbed Katchatheevu, given to Sri Lanka in 1974 as part of a maritime boundary agreement, as a "little island" and "little rock". 

Meanwhile, on Sunday, China's Ministry of Civil Affairs named 30 places in Zangnan, the Chinese name for Arunachal Pradesh which Beijing claims as part of south Tibet.

The MEA today rejected China's claim on Arunachal Pradesh, saying Beijing has persisted with its "senseless attempts" to rename places in the Indian state.

"We firmly reject such attempts. Assigning invented names will not alter the reality that Arunachal Pradesh is, has been, and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India."

Jaishankar said changing names won't have any effect and Arunachal Pradesh was, is, and will always be India's part. Addressing a press conference in Gujarat, he said, "If today I change the name of your house, will it become mine? Arunachal Pradesh was, is, and will always be a state of India. Changing names does not have an effect." 

Congress MP Manish Tewari called this a "weak response", which he said, "does not suit the Government of India and the External Affairs Minister of the country." "Those who have been espousing muscularity about Katchatheevu, it is unfortunate and regrettable that they are scared of even uttering the word China," he said.