SL issue: TN BJP cautions Centre on military aid

Chennai, Nov 27: Calling upon the Centre to show more interest in solving the Sri Lankan problem, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today cautioned against any military intervention in the ongoing ethnic conflict in the island nation.

''The Centre should not remain silent when Sri Lankan Tamils suffer but it does not mean there should be military intervention,'' BJP Tamil Nadu Unit President L Ganesan told reporters here.

The Union government should also make public the issues to be taken up with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse during his meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi, he said.

Stating the LTTE could not be accepted as the only representative of the Sri Lankan Tamils, Mr Ganesan said the Tigers should join hands with other Tamil organisations to find a solution to the problem.

Appreciating the Tamil Nadu government's ''steady approach'' to the Mullaiperiyar issue, the BJP leader said the government, however, should be firm on finding ways to implement the Supreme Court order on increasing the storage level to 142 feet during the proposed talks at New Delhi on November 29.

The BJP would oppose any move to nurture hatred between Tamil Nadu and Kerala on the issue.

On reports the Centre would grant an assistance of Rs seven lakh each to victims of communal riots in Gujarat, Mr Ganesan said the same should be extended to victims of riots in Coimbatore as well.

The Union Government should grant relief to all the victims of the communal riots irrespective of their religion, he stressed.

Alleging the Manmohan Singh government of the failure on all fronts, including internal security, Mr Ganesan said the party would organise statewide agitations from December 7 to 13 condemning the Central and the state governments for the spiralling prices of essential commodities.

The BJP would also organise 1,000 public meetings all over Tamil Nadu from December 15 to January 15 in this regard, he added.

UNI

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