Tamil Nadu BJP defends Narendra Modi invite to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu unit of Bharatiya Janata Party has backed Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi's decision to invite Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapasksa for his swearing-in ceremony on May 26.

In a press conference, the state unit president Pon Radhakrishnan, said, "If you invite Rajapaksa only and give him a royal treatment, then we are against that. But, all the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) nations are invited and Sri Lanka and Rajapaksa are a part of that."

Political parties in Tamil Nadu have accused the Sri Lankan government of war crimes against ethnic Tamils, a highly emotive issue in the state.

Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), an ally of BJP in the state, has opposed Modi's invitation to Rajapaksa. In a statement, MDMK chief Vaiko had said, "It will hurt Tamils the world over. In such a situation it has come as a major jolt that invitation has been reportedly sent to Rajapaksa."

Radhakrishnan said he would speak to Vaiko about it and convince him. "There is a difference between the Congress inviting Rajapaksa and the BJP inviting him. The Congress inviting him (Rajapaksa) is like a knife being used by a murderer whereas the BJP inviting him is like a knife being used by a doctor," said Radhakrishnan.

He implied that the thoughts and intentions behind the invitations extended to Rajapaksa by the Congress and the BJP are different and that Modi's invitation was forward-looking in nature and would usher in better days for the Sri Lankan Tamils.