Tamil leader criticizes Sri Lanka for attacks on Tamils

Mumbai, Mar 16 (ANI): V. Gopalswamy, an Indian Tamil leader led a massive rally here against Sri Lanka's offensive against Tamil Tiger rebels.

Gopalswamy, a longtime politician better known as Vaiko, for years has been one of the most vocal backers of Sri Lanka's Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) separatists.

Vaiko, the General Secretary of regional Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) attended a meeting organised by Sri Lankan Tamil Protection Council to deliberate upon the Tamils issue.

"The reason behind this meeting is to express agony and concern about the plight of the Tamils in the island of Sri Lanka where 500 000 Tamils are caught between the claws of death due to the genocidal brutal military attacks of the racist Sri Lankan government," said Vaiko.

He also accused the Indian Government of not doing enough to protect the Tamils in the island nation.

The Indian Government has been facing pressure to protect Tamils, who are closely linked to about 60 million Tamils in Tamil Nadu.

Tamil Nadu is the epicentre of pre-election pressure on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's ruling coalition to stop Sri Lanka's war.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels urged the United Nations to investigate possible war crimes by the military but made no mention of the world body's allegations the separatists themselves may be committing them.

According to reports, Sri Lankan Government immediately rejected the call by the LTTE and said it was the separatists themselves who should be probed. (ANI)