BJP government openly aiding Colombo, alleges Vaiko

CHENNAI: Slamming BJP government's policy vis-a-vis Sri Lanka, party's Tamil Nadu ally MDMK today said that it was acting against the minority Tamils and warned that this may have its repercussions in the future.

Party founder Vaiko took objection to senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy's demand that India's highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna, be conferred on Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse, saying the saffron party cannot ignore its responsibility by just distancing itself away from Swamy.

"Though the previous UPA discreetly helped Sri Lanka against Tamils, it later backtracked but the BJP government is openly aiding Colombo", he said.

Subsequently, Swamy could so "brazenly" call for Bharat Ratna to Rajapakse, he said in a statement.

"This is infuriating. It amounts demanding Bharat Ratna for General Dyre, who led the Jalianwala Bagh massacre. Have the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) or others from BJP condemn Swamy for this? No. They cannot ignore their responsibility by saying it was his personal opinion," he said.

Vaiko also opposed various other steps initiated by New Delhi regarding Sri Lanka, including hosting its top Defence officials.

The NDA government though that there was none to question it and its continued 'anti-Ealam Tamils' stand will have its own repercussions in the future, Vaiko said even as BJP aims to put up a good show in Tamil Nadu in the 2016 Assembly polls.