Lankan police left for B'lore: CRPF

Coimbatore, Aug 4: Sri Lankan Police personnel, undergoing training at the CRPF's Central Training College at Kurudampalayam, here, left for Bangalore yesterday.

Talking to UNI here today, the CRPF DIG and College Principal George C Francis said 43 Sri Lankan Police personnel were being provided training on public order management under the instruction of Union Home Ministry. The group included four police officials, Inspectors and Sub Inspectors.

Due to some reason, they left the college campus to Bangalore, he said.

Asked whether they would continue training elsewhere, Mr George said he did not know. It had to be decided by the Centre and the CRPF.

As many as 234 people from various parties, including MDMK and Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam, were arrested yesterday in the city when they tried to hold a demonstration against the training of the Lankan personnel.

Meanwhile, Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder S Ramadoss urged the Centre to give assurance that no such training would be provided to Sri Lankan officials in future. In a statement in Chennai, he said though the Centre had sent the Lankan policemen out of Coimbatore respecting the sentiments of Tamils, there were reports that the training would be continued in Bangalore.

Reports were also received that two more groups of officials from the island nation were set to get trained in India, he said and added no such training should be provided in any part of the country.

The Centre should understand that any training provided to Sinhala officials was a step against Sri Lankan Tamils, he added.

Dr Ramadoss said though it was informed that training was provided on maintenance of law and order, there was a reliable information that the Sinhala officials were trained on handling explosives.

The Centre should come out with an explanation to clear the doubts of people of Tamil Nadu on the issue, he stressed.

Marumalarchi DMK (MDMK) General Secretary Vaiko, in a statement in Chennai, wondered how the Chief Minister was not aware of the arrival of the Sri Lankan police personnel and how they could be given training facility in Coimbatore without his knowledge.

He alleged when his party members raised the issue in the House yesterday, Mr Karunanidhi showed no interest in taking up the matter with the Centre. Instead, he expressed hope that the Centre would take not note of the matter and initiate steps.

If the Sri Lakan police personnel were sent off from the training centre last night itself, why the Chief Minister was not aware of the development when the issue was raised again in the assembly this morning, Mr Vaiko asked and wondered whether the intelligence has failed.

UNI