BJP criticizes Congress over Katchatheevu island transfer and Kerala liquor policy

NEW DELHI: With Congress in office in Kerala and part of govt in Tamil Nadu, BJP fired a twin salvo at the party and alleged that its decisions have harmed the interests of the two states. BJP said it was the 52nd anniversary of the decision of the then Congress govt at the Centre to cede Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka that has harmed the interest of Tamil fishermen and also its Catholic population, who are not permitted to offer prayers at St Anthony shrine there even if they carry Indian flags. “It is another blackspot in Congress’s calendar of surrenders,” BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said, citing the earlier losses of PoK and Aksai Chin to Pakistan and China, respectively. BJP also targeted the new Congress-led UDF govt in Kerala over its decision to slash excise duty on low-alcohol liquor from 251% to 121%, alleging it will push the youth into alcohol consumption and reduce the state’s revenue to the benefit of liquor businesses. “This is particularly disturbing when Kerala’s home minister Ramesh Chennithala has himself said the state’s drug problem is becoming increasingly serious and is turning into a challenge comparable to Punjab’s,” Trivedi said, adding UDF and LDF were “two sides of the same coin” on liquor policy