Send Sri Lankan armymen back: TN parties

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Follow us:WhatsappFacebookTwitterTelegram.cls-1{fill:#4d4d4d;}.cls-2{fill:#fff;}Google NewsPolitical parties in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday took strong exception to the remark of Minister of State for Defence MM Pallam Raju that ongoing training to the Lankan Defence personnel would continue since Sri Lanka is a friendly country of India. “Send them back to Lanka,” was the unanimous voice of the parties.DMK president M Karunanidhi, leader of a key constituent partner of the UPA government at the Centre, questioned the validity of the description that Sri Lanka is a friendly country.“After the 2009 ethnic war, Sri Lanka has been treating China and Pakistan as friendly countries than India. China has extended six-fold assistance to Lanka than India. China’s assistance includes implementation of 14 projects at a cost of Rs.36,000 crore, supply of passengers flights, helping Sri Lanka in building military, naval and air bases in the areas dominated by Tamils, besides setting up infrastructural facilities to house the families of the Lankan Defence personnel. After all these, how can India term Lanka as a friendly country? At the most, the ties between India and Lanka can be described as one-sided friendship,” Karunanidhi said.Meanwhile, DMDK leader Vijayakanth asked how could a Union Minister describe Lanka as a friendly nation when TN fishermen were subjected to attacks on a daily basis. Accusing the Centre of remaining silent when Sri Lanka was going all out to convert Tamil areas into military areas, he also referred the Sri Lankan government’s decision to hand over a prime land in Colombo, which was allotted to India, to China and wondered whether this was an example of friendship.Taking exception to the Centre’s decision, MDMK general secretary Vaiko, slammed the Centre for hurting the sentiments of people of TN again and again by supporting the Rajapakse regime that killed thousands of their own race in a “gruesome and genocidal war” in the island nation.“Could they do it to any other State in India?,” he asked and added the statement was not the view of a single person. “This is the statement reflecting views of the Centre. This is the statement of the PM and Sonia Gandhi. Otherwise, the Minister would have been pulled up by now,” he pointed out.Meanwhile, the State unit of the CPI on Tuesday announced that it would hold a one-day fast in Chennai led by veteran leader R Nallakannu to condemn the “disdain” with which UPA government was treating people of TN. The party also wanted all political outfits in the State to speak in one voice on the issue. State CPI secretary D Pandian said “Continuance of training is tantamount to giving certificate to the Rajapakse regime for annihilating the Tamils”.PMK founder S Ramadoss said the Union Minister’s statement had shown that he lacked understanding about the whole issue.first published:August 29, 2012, 07:55 ISTlast updated:August 29, 2012, 07:55 IST
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Political parties in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday took strong exception to the remark of Minister of State for Defence MM Pallam Raju that ongoing training to the Lankan Defence personnel would continue since Sri Lanka is a friendly country of India. “Send them back to Lanka,” was the unanimous voice of the parties.

DMK president M Karunanidhi, leader of a key constituent partner of the UPA government at the Centre, questioned the validity of the description that Sri Lanka is a friendly country.

“After the 2009 ethnic war, Sri Lanka has been treating China and Pakistan as friendly countries than India. China has extended six-fold assistance to Lanka than India. China’s assistance includes implementation of 14 projects at a cost of Rs.36,000 crore, supply of passengers flights, helping Sri Lanka in building military, naval and air bases in the areas dominated by Tamils, besides setting up infrastructural facilities to house the families of the Lankan Defence personnel. After all these, how can India term Lanka as a friendly country? At the most, the ties between India and Lanka can be described as one-sided friendship,” Karunanidhi said.

Meanwhile, DMDK leader Vijayakanth asked how could a Union Minister describe Lanka as a friendly nation when TN fishermen were subjected to attacks on a daily basis. Accusing the Centre of remaining silent when Sri Lanka was going all out to convert Tamil areas into military areas, he also referred the Sri Lankan government’s decision to hand over a prime land in Colombo, which was allotted to India, to China and wondered whether this was an example of friendship.

Taking exception to the Centre’s decision, MDMK general secretary Vaiko, slammed the Centre for hurting the sentiments of people of TN again and again by supporting the Rajapakse regime that killed thousands of their own race in a “gruesome and genocidal war” in the island nation.

“Could they do it to any other State in India?,” he asked and added the statement was not the view of a single person. “This is the statement reflecting views of the Centre. This is the statement of the PM and Sonia Gandhi. Otherwise, the Minister would have been pulled up by now,” he pointed out.

Meanwhile, the State unit of the CPI on Tuesday announced that it would hold a one-day fast in Chennai led by veteran leader R Nallakannu to condemn the “disdain” with which UPA government was treating people of TN. The party also wanted all political outfits in the State to speak in one voice on the issue.

State CPI secretary D Pandian said “Continuance of training is tantamount to giving certificate to the Rajapakse regime for annihilating the Tamils”.

PMK founder S Ramadoss said the Union Minister’s statement had shown that he lacked understanding about the whole issue.