New Delhi/Chennai: Voices within the Cabinet grew lounder against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visiting Sri Lanka with two more ministers saying on Monday that he should not attend Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in view of alleged atrocities against ethnic Tamils.
Minister of State in the PMO V Narayanasamy and Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan came out openly to oppose the Prime Minister’s visit, joining their Cabinet colleague GK Vasan.
“I have conveyed my opinion to the Prime Minister that he should not visit Sri Lanka,” Narayanasamy told PTI.
Representing Pudducherry which has substantial Tamil population, he said majority of Congress ministers and MPs from Tamil Nadu do not want the Prime Minister to participate in the CHOGM taking place in Lanka later this month.
“Some ministers have met the Prime Minister insisting that he should not attend the meeting while few others have not met. But the majority opinion is that he should not visit Sri Lanka,” he said.
Echoing similar sentiments, Natarajan said in Chennai that she would write a letter to the Prime Minister urging him not to attend the Commonwealth summit.
“With the atrocities against Tamils in Sri Lanka and the sentiments of people in Tamil Nadu, I hope the Prime Minister will take a good decision,” she told reporters.
However, at the same time, another Congress leader from Tamil Nadu S Natchiappan, who is Minister of State for Commerce, has been striking a different note. He said the Prime Minister should visit Sri Lanka for the welfare of the Lankan Tamils.
Some officials of the External Affairs Ministry also favour the Prime Minister’s visit.
“He (PM) should travel to Jaffna and other Tamil-dominated areas before reaching Colombo. Perhaps this is the demand of the elected government in the Northern region of the island nation,” said Natchiappan.
Earlier on Monday, as many 45 persons belonging to different pro-Tamil outfits were arrested for attempting to picket trains and bus-stand in nearby Tirupur and Udhagamandalam, demanding that India should not participate in the CHOGM scheduled in Sri Lanka this month. (PTI)
Swamy seeks immediate decision by PM
New Delhi: BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on Monday sought an immediate decision by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the issue of attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Sri Lanka on November 15-16.
Swamy said the Prime Minister should announce a decision to attend the meet while considering India’s national interest.
Political parties in Tamil Nadu are strongly opposed to Singh’s participation in the Summit, alleging that Sri Lanka has indulged in atrocities against ethnic Tamils.
No decision has been taken so far on the Prime Minister’s participation. (PTI)