BJP seeks devolution of powers

Party team seeks resumption of dialogue with TNA

BJP leaders Muralidhar Rao and Vijay Jolly call on Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa in Colombo.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has urged Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to resume talks with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), its visiting leaders told The Hindu .

In Colombo to attend the International Conference of Asian Political Parties, Muralidhar Rao, party general secretary and Vijay Jolly, global convener, BJP Overseas Affairs, met Mr. Rajaspaksa on Friday. The BJP leaders stressed the need for Sri Lanka to devolve more powers.

“Many in Sri Lanka, including those in the government agree that the Northern Province Chief Minister [C.V. Wigneswaran] is a reasonable person but in reality, he is not able to function,” Mr. Rao said said. Sri Lanka should be seen as sincerely helping the elected [northern] government to function and also as offering bureaucratic support.

Mr. Rajapaksa, in a recent interview to

The Hindu , said he was open for talks with the TNA. Asked if he seemed willing to hold discussions outside the Parliamentary Select Committee, which the TNA and all the opposition parties have boycotted, Mr. Rao said as a political party from India, the BJP could not get into the specifics of how politics should be conducted in Sri Lanka. “Ultimately, President Rajapaksa has a moral obligation, political and constitutional responsibility towards genuine reconciliation. It will help build a reservoir of goodwill for the Sri Lankan government in Tamil Nadu and rest of India,” he said adding, “If people in Tamil Nadu protest, it is not for nothing.”

On the fisheries issue, the BJP leaders sought early release of the Indian trawlers seized and kept in Sri Lankan custody, a statement released by the BJP following the meeting said.

“We have requested Sri Lanka to be sensitive and flexible in this issue,” Mr. Rao said.

While Sri Lanka demanded an end to the use of bottom-trawling technique, which is banned on the island, it would be difficult for the fishermen to switch to a different method overnight, the BJP leader said adding there were historic reasons for the fishermen to have “inherited the technique.”