Government in sync with TN people's concerns on Lankan Tamils: Manish Tewari

CHENNAI: Responding to the DMK's protest against Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa's India visit, the Centre today said, it was in no way "insensitive" to Lankan Tamil issues and the protest was in "sync" with the people's concern in Tamil Nadu.

"We understand the sensitivities which are involved with regard to the issue of Sri Lankan Tamils, especially here in Tamil Nadu. We are absolutely in sync with some of the concerns which have been articulated...",Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari told reporters here.

He was responding to questions on the protests by the DMK,a key UPA ally, against the visit of Rajapaksa, who is on a two-day pilgrimage trip in the country.

DMK and others hold Rajapaksa instrumental for the sufferings of the ethnic Tamil minority in the island nation.

Noting that India had walked the 'extra mile' at the United Nations Human Rights Commission (backing a resolution against Sri Lanka), Tewari said, engagement with Colombo "in no way means that we are insensitive or we tend to undermine the concerns, which a section of the population of India, may legitimately have."