The AIADMK on Friday expressed unhappiness over the Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa's criticism of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and wanted the sentiment be conveyed to Colombo.
Raising the issue during zero hour in the Lok Sabha, party leader M. Thambidurai rejected Mr. Rajapaksa's allegation that Ms. Jayalalithaa had voiced concern over the plight of ethnic Tamils and condemned “war crimes” for political gains.
“Ms. Jayalalithaa had spoken on the basis of facts and it is condemnable to say that she did it for political gains,'' Mr. Thambidurai said.
He said a U.N. panel had claimed that 40,000 innocent Tamils were killed during the 2009 war and External Affairs Minister S M. Krishna had put the number of affected people at three lakh.
Mr. Thambidurai referred to the resolution passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly seeking economic sanctions against Sri Lanka and Ms. Jayalalithaa's statement condemning Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa and said the Central government should convey its unhappiness to the Sri Lankan High Commission.
As he was speaking, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs V. Narayanasamy said a discussion had been slated on the issue.
Ms. Jayalalithaa had told the Assembly that thousands of Tamils were killed mercilessly by the military in the civil war.
