NDA ally MDMK opposes BJP participation in a conference in Sri Lanka

Chennai: BJP’s Tamil Nadu ally, MDMK, on Thursday opposed the senior partner’s participation in a conference in Sri Lanka, saying it had hurt the Tamils in that country, besides in India and elsewhere. Referring to BJP’s two-member delegation of Muralidhar Rao and Vijay Jolly participating in the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) in Colombo starting on Thursday, MDMK chief Vaiko said it amounted to ‘belittling’ Tamils. [caption id=“attachment_1719729” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] MDMK chief Vaiko (centre). Firstpost[/caption] Vaiko recalled that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had boycotted the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Colombo last year following a huge hue and cry in the state. “BJP’s sending of Rao and Jolly is an unforgivable act of betrayal and they should be recalled immediately,” he said in a statement. The conference was an effort by the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse to ‘hoodwink’ the world, Vaiko said in an apparent reference to the alleged human rights violations by the Army against civilian Tamils in the final leg of the civil war against the rebel LTTE in 2009. Later, Rao said he met Sri Lankan External Affairs Minister G L Peiris and discussed topics including the fishermen issue concerning Tamil Nadu. “A wide range of topics were discussed in relation to India-Sri Lanka relations during the meeting. Issues pertaining to Indian fishermen of Tamil Nadu origin, issues of Tamils in Sri Lanka, and the Asian political parties meet in Colombo were discussed,” a statement from Rao’s office said. Peiris expressed confidence that the new Indian government at the Centre will “give due attention and address with utmost priority the issues related to Sri Lanka and regional cooperation,” it said quoting the meeting between them. PTI