Tamil Nadu Congress backs probe into 'rights violations' in Sri Lanka

CHENNAI: Allegations of war crimes and human rights violations in Sri Lanka should be probed by an international body under the auspices of the United Nations, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee said today.

"By whatever name you call it..war crimes, human rights violations or genocide..the fact is that thousands of lives were lost in Sri Lanka and this should be probed," TNCC President EVKS Elangovan told reporters here.

The Northern Provincial Council in Sri Lanka has recently adopted a resolution demanding an international probe into the allegations of genocide during the war against LTTE in 2009.

Elangovan said his party supported the resolution adopted by the Northern Council seeking a credible probe and recalled that a US-backed resolution against Sri Lanka was supported in UNHRC when the UPA was in power.

DMK President Karunanidhi has already asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to consider moving a resolution against Sri Lanka in the UNHRC in the wake of the Northern Council's resolution.

The demands have been made ahead of the four-day visit of Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena to India starting tomorrow.

On Tamil Maanila Congress chief G K Vasan's remarks on appointment of Congress leader Motilal Vora as trustee of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee Trust, he said "there is no need for him to comment on Congress party afffairs...let him focus on his party work."

Earlier today, Vasan, who was a trustee till he quit the Congress in November last, said, "Only the Congress high command should say if it will be useful to appoint Vora to a party trust in Tamil Nadu."

He was answering a query if it was correct to appoint a person who does not hail from Tamil Nadu.