BJP not for separate Tamil state in Sri Lanka: Yashwant Sinha

BJP today said it does not support the demand for a separate Tamil State to be carved out from Sri Lanka, but asserted that India should exercise the option of imposing sanctions on Colombo and recall its High Commissioner if the killing of innocent Tamils is not stopped.

"We are not in favour of a separate nation created out of Sri Lanka, but totally against butchering of Tamil civilians. They have to be protected. The party is for giving rights to Northern Tamils within the integrity and and territorial unity of Sri Lanka", BJP leader Yashwant Sinha told reporters here.

"The time has come, India must make its intentions very clear to Sri Lanka. With diplomatic channels and a high power delegation not working, the only option left is imposing sanctions on Sri Lanka if it goes ahead and disregards Indian advice", Sinha, who is here to campaign for the party, said.

His comments came in the backdrop of assertion by AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa last night that her party would press for formation of a separate Tamil Eelam if voted to power.

Sinha said it was for the government of India to decide on the kind of sanctions and whether they should be economic or otherwise and what part of it should be economic. He said that BJP had no sympathy for LTTE chief Prabhakaran, a "proclaimed offender" nor for LTTE, a "terrorist organisation".

"Our only concern was, is and will remain the plight of the civilian Tamil population, who are suffering untold misery through military action of both LTTE and Sri Lankan government".