Chief minister J Jayalaithaa displayed her aggressive self in assembly on Monday when she took on a spirited and vociferous DMK legislators, led by its treasurer MK Stalin in an indication of the shape of things to come in the house.

The issue that Jayalalithaa cornered and countered the DMK on was the retrieval of Kachatheevu island from Sri Lanka, to which the DMK ceded. DMK, which Jayalalithaa said did not have any right to speak or criticize the government on the retrieval of kachatheevu as it was DMK supremo M Karunanidhi who surrendered the island to the Sri Lankan authorities.

Besides, ever since then, despite being in power in Tamil Nadu and at centre, the DMK did absolutely nothing to retrieve the islet, which is the bone of contention between the two countries due to the fishing catch there. Many Tamil fishermen from India are routinely arrested and their boats confiscated by Sri Lankan authorities for straying into Sri Lankan territory.

Prime minister Narendra Modi had during his campaign for 2014 elections to Lok Sabha, had promised to Tamil people that this problem would be sorted out once the BJP led government assumed charge at the centre.

For some reason, the attacks on Tamil fishermen from India continue unabated, forcing chief minister J Jayalalithaa routinely seek centre’s help in this issue – to free the Tamil fishermen and get their boats released.

Jayalalithaa took on the DMK legislators, led by Stalin, who said the central government did not consult the Tamil Nadu government while transferring Katchatheevu islet to Sri Lanka.

“By passing a resolution in the state assembly the then DMK government headed by M.Karunanidhi closed the discussion on the transfer,” Jayalalithaa said.

She said speaking on the resolution moved then Karunanidhi told the assembly in 1974 that there was no hint or information to the Tamil Nadu government from the central government about the transfer of Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka.

Jayalalithaa said in the resolution of Tamil Eelam Supporters Organisation (TESO) in 2013, it was stated that the DMK government had opposed the transfer of Katchatheevu at the first instance itself.

After the agreement was signed (between India and Sri Lanka) it was on the DMK government’s insistence conditions like the Tamil Nadu fishermen can fish and dry their nets in the islet were added, Jayalalithaa quoted the TESO resolution.

She asked Stalin to clarify to the people of the two stands of the DMK as to which one was correct.

Katchatheevu is an island of 285 acres off Rameswaram in the narrow Palk Strait that divides Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka and was once a part of Ramanathapuram district.