Ramadoss appeals to Govt to call for bandh over Lankan Prez visit

Chennai, Nov 16 (UNI) The Tamil Nadu Government should call for a bandh when Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse visits India on November 26, to register protest over the killings of Tamils in the island nation by the Sri Lankan forces, PMK founder leader S Ramadoss said.

In a statement here, Mr Ramadoss said to convey the message loud and clear that the people of Tamil Nadu were united in championing the cause of Tamils in Sri Lanka, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi should organise the protest when Mr Rajapakse visits India to inaugurate the Asian Mayors' Conference.

It would not be wrong if the Chief Minister calls for a state sponsored bandh on that day, on the lines of bandhs organised on previous occasions for the Sri Lankan Tamils' cause, he said.

''When Mr Karunanidhi visits Delhi during the end of the month, to hold talks on the Mullaperiyar Dam issue, he should meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi and convey the state's stand on the Tamils' issue'', he suggested.

The Centre should also, on its part, make the country's stand clear to Mr Rajapakse that India would not be willing to make any compromise on the question of security of the Tamils in Sri Lanka, Dr Ramadoss said.

He said Dr Singh should prevail upon Mr Rajapakse to open the A 9 Highway, connecting Jaffana with other parts of the island and ensure that food, medicines and other essential items reach the Tamil areas.

The PMK leader said it gave immense satisfaction that the Prime Minister, in his letter to M Karunanidhi, had said India would reiterate to the Sri Lankan Government that there was no military solution to the problem and the only way out was a negotiated political settlement.

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