Lankan MP demands Indian Govt to lift ban on LTTE

Chennai, Mar 8 (UNI) A pro-Tamil Sri Lankan MP and Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO) member M K Sivajilangam today demanded the Indian government to lift the ban on Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) by recognising its struggle for autonomy to Tamils.

Talking to reporters here, he urged India to recognise the struggle by the LTTE, which was striving for a separate Tamil Eelam and lift the ban imposed in India.

''As a first step towards recognising the LTTE's struggle, India should lift the ban as it portrayed the outfit as terrorists,'' the Lankan MP, whose outfit was part of the Tamil National Alliance in Sri Lanka, said.

Expressing concern over the prevailing situation in the island nation with the Lankan Army mounting attack on Tamil areas, Mr Sivajilingam demanded Indian and Tamil Nadu governments, to play a pro-active role in finding a peaceful solution to the ethnic crisis in Sri Lanka.

On LTTE's involvement in the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, he said, ''We have apologised several times to India on behalf of the Tamils of Sri Lanka.'' Cautioning the Indian government against supplying arms to Sri Lankan military, he said it could be used against the Tamils.

''It will be a dangerous trend as far as India is concerned,'' he said when asked about Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India C R Jayasinghe's remarks confirming supply of arms by Pakistan to Sri Lanka.

Claiming that Lankan Army was involved in the killing of pro-rebel Sri Lankan Tamil MP Sivanesan in a claymore attack two day's ago, Mr Sivajilingam said the Mahinda Rajapaksa government should own responsbility for this.

Observing that all Tamil MPs in Sri Lankan parliament were on the army's radar, he said there was no guarantee for his life too.

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