India has no disputes with Sri Lanka: Swamy

August 21, 2014 02:15 am | Updated April 22, 2016 02:06 am IST - COLOMBO:

“India has no disputes with Sri Lanka and is committed to improving relations with the neighbouring island nation,” the former Union Cabinet Minister and chairman of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Committee for Strategic Action Subramanian Swamy said here on Wednesday.

Addressing a seminar on defence organised by the Sri Lanka’s Defence Ministry, he said India’s foreign policy, under the Narendra Modi-led government, would be structured entirely on national interests and not on narrow regional interest. “Much of the troubles are due to the political polemics of Tamil Nadu,” he said, adding that all proponents of strong action in the Tamil cause were defeated electorally.

“We will have normal relations with Sri Lanka and develop it further,” he said, pointing to the BJP’s massive mandate in the Lok Sabha elections which, he said, enabled New Delhi to act independently without the pressures of coalition partners.

Dr. Swamy was here in July, and had then said India would be far more supportive of Sri Lanka’s position at the United Nations Human Rights Council than before.

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