Both the main political parties of Tamil Nadu, AIADMK and DMK, as well as most of the opposition parties in the Rajya Sabha of the Indian parliament walked out on Thursday, disappointed by the statement made by the Indian Foreign Minister SM Krishna on Sri Lanka. On the issue of war crimes, Krishna said that India would wait for the tabling of the UN panel report in a UN forum to take a stand on the issue. This is because, “questions still remain” on the report, he said. On the killings of Tamil Nadu fishermen by Sri Lanka’s Navy, the Foreign Minister of the power aspiring for permanent representation in the UN Security Council said: “We have limitations in acting on the fishermen issue. If you have more details give it to me and I will investigate.”
Speaking on the issue at Rajya Sabha, the Communist Party of India (CPI) National Secretary Mr D. Raja said, “What happened in May 2009 was nothing but genocide.”
‘We have not seen such genocide in any country in contemporary history,’ Raja observed and accused New Delhi of betraying the Tamils in the island at a crucial time by not raising their mass killings in international forums.
The Sri Lankan government told the world that India was a collaborator in the war. “What is the meaning of your silence, why you are not speaking,” Raja asked citing the statement of Rajapaksa that he had fought India’s war.
I do not stand here to condole, but to demand justice, Raja said, adding that he demand an impartial international investigation on war crimes and abuse of human rights.
On the issue of killings, torture and imprisonment of the fishermen of Tamil Nadu by Sri Lanka, the parliamentarians disputed Krishna over the numbers he was quoting. They were far more, Tamil Nadu MPs said.
When grilled by the Tamil MPs, over the interview given by Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to Headlines Today, the foreign minister slammed Gotabhaya for making comments against the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Ms. Jayalalitha.
It was without justification; we reject it, the minister said, adding that it did not befit the defence secretary to make that statement. There is no justification for killing fishermen, he further said.
During discussions in both the houses many MPs were seen waving the CDs of the Headlines Today interview. In the Rajya Sabha some were mentioning the name of the correspondent Priyamvatha.
SM Krishna is expected to make a statement in the Lok Sabha too on Friday.