Implement 13th amendment: M Venkaiah Naidu to new Lankan govt

CHENNAI: The new government elected in Sri Lanka should implement the 13th amendment in "letter and spirit" and the aspirations of the ethnic Tamils there must be met, Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said here today.

"The Sri Lankan government should implement the 13th amendment (an Indian initiative aimed at giving more powers to provinces) in their Constitution in letter and spirit. The aspirations of the ethnic Tamils should be met. We (India) must work together with our neighbours," the Union Minister of Urban Development and Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation said when asked for his comment on the new government in the island nation.

Replying to a query on what were the reasons behind the defeat of incumbent president Mahinda Rajapaksa, Naidu said, "it is for Rajapaksa to understand. It is for the people of Lanka to decide on their leader. It is an internal matter of Sri Lanka. I cannot comment on that."