UPA Govt taking steps to protect Tamils in Lanka: Thangabalu

Chennai, Oct 2 (UNI) TNCC President K V Thangabalu today asserted that the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre was taking all steps to protect the Tamils in Sri Lanka.

Talking to newspersons here, he said when the Union Government was committed to the cause of Tamils in the island, some political parties were indulging in a 'disinformation campaign' that the Centre remained a mute spectator to the plight of Tamils in Sri Lanka.

The Congress was always in the forefront in protecting the rights of Tamils in the island national and the only party to have lost its leader, Rajiv Gandhi for the sake of Lankan Tamils, he said.

He said the Centre has also taken effective steps to protect the Indian fishermen, who were getting killed by the Lankan navy, when they crossed the international waters, while fishing.

Soon all the fishermen would be issued identity cards and they would even be allowed to fish in the international waters, Mr Thangabalu said.

Answering a question, Mr Thangabalu denied India offering Military assistance to the Lankan government. He said political parties in India should be united in fighting for the cause of Tamils and help to find a negotiated settlement to the ethnic crisis.

''If a situation arises, I will lead a delegation of representatives of various political parties to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and prevail upon him to exert pressure on Sri Lanka to find a soltuion to the Tamils issue'', he said.

India could not interfere in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka, but could help the country to find an amicable solution to the Tamils issue, he added.

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