TN parties call for boycott as Rajapaksha arrives for swearing-in

Even BJP allies in the state to give oath-taking ceremony a miss, call Lankan President a butcher

Sri Lanka's President Mahendra Percy Rajapaksha arrived in New Delhi to participate in Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony, amid protest from the BJP's allies and other political parties in Tamil Nadu.

The Sri Lankan President landed in New Delhi after Maldives President. The two leaders are among the SAARC leaders who were invited by Modi to participate in the oath-taking ceremony.

As a gesture of goodwill, Rajapaksha has taken steps to release all Indian fishermen arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy for alleged encroachment of territorial waters.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK Supermo J Jayalalithaa, DMK Leader M Karunanidhi and even BJP's allies in Tamil Nadu including, MDMK and DMDK criticised the move to invite Rajapaksha. All of them have decided to boycott the ceremony.

Jayalaithaa earlier said, the “ill-advised” decision to invite President Rajapaksa could strain relations between the new government at the Centre and the one in Tamil Nadu.

DMK urged the prime minister-designate to “understand the feeling of the Tamils”. The Party's organising secretary and spokesperson, T K S Elangovan said, “At a time when the people are yet to get over their anger against the regime there for the human rights violations against Tamils, inviting the president should have been avoided”.

Earlier MDMK, BJP's ally, objected to the invitation extended to the Sri Lankan President, whom MDMK leader Vaiko has called “the butcher of Tamils".

PMK's founder S Ramadoss joined others in opposing the invitation, and said Rajapaksha was facing trial in the UNHRC for war crimes. PMK is also an ally of the BJP in Tamil Nadu.

"On this special occasion, the NDA has invited Rajapaksha under the guise of inviting all SAARC leaders, which is not acceptable to people of Tamil Nadu," he said.