Chennai | Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur on Monday sought an explanation from the DMK and Congress about "ceding" Katchatheevu islet to Sri Lanka in 1974 and asked the parties to "come out clean" on the issue.

Taking exception to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin's criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Thakur asked why Stalin was "shivering" at the prospect of Modi's visit to the state.

Speaking to reporters here, Thakur commented that on the one hand, the Prime Minister was giving a lot to the fishermen including subsidies, policies, and programmes but on the other hand the DMK and Congress have given away Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka.

"They should come out open and respond to this. Who is responsible for giving Katchatheevu to Lanka? Why are the DMK and Congress silent on this? Why have they given an important piece of land to Sri Lanka and hurt the sentiments of fishermen and Tamils," Thakur asked.

The chief minister's statements on Modi showed how "nervous" he was over Modi coming to Tamil Nadu. "Why is he shivering? He must be happy over the visit because the people of Tamil Nadu love the prime minister who loves Tamil Nadu, its rich culture, tradition history," the minister said.

He recalled that the Kashi Tamil Sangamam was organised and the Sengol was installed in the new parliament building and counted them among the numerous instances of Modi's "love for the state and its people".

Going by the response from the people throughout the country, the BJP will easily win 400-plus seats this time, Thakur said in reply to a question.

"People want to see Modi become prime minister for the third consecutive term so that India becomes the third largest economy in the world," he said, and added that it was because people want progress and want the poor to come out of poverty.