Oppn walks out on Lankan police training issue

Chennai, Aug 4 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today said the Centre had the responsibility to clear the doubts of the people with regard to the training being given to Sri Lankan Police personnel in the state, even as the entire Opposition staged a walk out over the issue.

Replying to Mr Selvam (DPI), Mr G K Mani (PMK) and Mr Sivapunniyam (CPI), who apprehended that the training being imparted at CISF Training Centre in Coimabtore would be used against the innocent Tamils in the Island Nation, the Chief Minister said as per reports no military training was being given to them and that they were being provided only police training to maintain peace and law and order.

The Indian and the Sri Lankan Governments should think whether such training was necessary in the present situation, he said.

''I hope the Centre respects the sentiments expressed by the members espousing the cause of Tamils and take a suitable decision,'' he said adding ''one could not ignore the consequences we saw in 1989.

''If my talks with the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had succeeded, the Sri lankan issue would have taken a different turn.'' Even as he welcomed the Chief Minister's remarks for respecting the sentiments of the Tamils, Mr Selvam staged a walkout in protest against the Central Government for not stopping the training.

Later, the MDMK and the AIADMK, too, followed suit. After the MDMK walked out, AIADMK Whip K A Sengottaiyan led his party members out of the House asking whether the DMK, which was part of the UPA Government at the Centre, was not aware of the Centre's decision to provide training in the state.

''Since the training has been taking place with the knowledge of the state government, the AIADMK too is staging a walk out,'' he added.

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