Don't take part in Sri Lanka defence meet, Vaiko urges Centre

CHENNAI: MDMK, an ally of BJP in Tamil Nadu, today urged the Union government to not participate in a defence conference which is to be hosted by Sri Lanka next month.

"It is shocking to learn that an Indian delegation, comprising senior military personnel, officials and BJP leaders, including Subramanian Swamy, will be participating in a defence conference being organised by Sri Lanka," MDMK general secretary Vaiko said in a statement here.

The conference is to be held in the island nation between August 18 and 20.

Reiterating his charge that Sri Lanka had committed genocide and annihilated Tamils using even banned chemical weapons, Vaiko said the Centre's "pro-Lanka" stance had led to doubts whether India was going to bury justice by joining hands with the island nation.

"At a time when several nations are urging an independent, international probe into the genocide in the United Nations Human Rights Council, an Indian delegation participating in the Lanka defence meet is unpardonable," he said.

On the remark attributed to senior BJP functionary Seshadri Chari in Singapore that "India's foreign policy cannot be determined by considering Tamil Nadu and West Bengal," Vaiko said the view was 'poisonous" and deserved to be condemned.