Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi has said about 3,500 internally displaced Sri Lankan Tamils have been sent back home in the island nation.
Speaking to The Hindu over telephone from Chennai on Friday, he said that according to his information, about 1,500 IDPs were sent home by bus on Thursday. About 2,000 people were sent on Friday.
Each of them was given Sri Lankan rupees 5,000 by the Sri Lankan government.
Mr. Karunanidhi pointed out that the Sri Lankan government assured the 10-member Tamil Nadu MPs delegation, which visited Sri Lanka a few days ago, that 58,000 out of 2.5 lakh IDPs would be sent back home in 15 days in the first phase.
A report given to him by the delegation was forwarded to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
