New Delhi/IBNS: Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has even refused to give any sort of importance to the Katchatheevu issue, the latest flashpoint between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his opponent Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, media reports said.

When asked about the island, Singh said, "Who lives on that island? I want to ask this question."

On being asked about fishermen getting arrested going there, he said, "These are baseless claims by Modi-ji."

Singh's comment comes after Modi attempted to corner the DMK and Congress on the issue of Katchatheevu, which was handed over to Sri Lanka during the Indira Gandhi regime, in Tamil Nadu.

Addressing a rally in Tamil Nadu, a state where Modi is paying frequent visits ahead of Lok Sabha polls, the Prime Minister alleged DMK and Congress, which are in power in the southern state, kept people "in dark" and did injustice to the fishermen by handing over the island to Sri Lanka.

Modi said, "Congress and DMK have kept the people of Tamil Nadu in the dark. They callously gave away the Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka and meted out injustice to our fishermen.

"The NDA government has been continuously getting our fishermen released and getting them back home."

"DMK and Congress have not only committed sin to the fishermen but to the entire country," the Prime Minister added.

About Katchatheevu

Katchatheevu, which is an uninhabited island, was under the control of British Ceylon since 1921.

Though India never controlled it, the island remained a disputed territory.

In 1974, the then Indian government, under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, signed an agreement to recognise Sri Lanka's sovereignty over the island.

In a separate agreement signed in 1976, both the countries' fishermen were restricted from fishing.