Urging the BJP leaders in Tamil Nadu to behave and be “truly supportive” of the cause of Sri Lankan Tamils, DMK president M. Karunanidhi on Tuesday pulled off another surprise, backing MDMK general secretary Vaiko on the issue.
In a statement here, he condemned BJP leader H. Raja’s remarks against Mr. Vaiko for criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi wishing Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa well in the presidential elections.
All political parties in Tamil Nadu condemned the Prime Minister’s gesture at the SAARC summit, in the backdrop of the war crimes against the Tamils, and Mr. Vaiko said no other Prime Minister had stooped to such a level. When the rest of the BJP leaders remained silent, Mr. Raja warned Mr. Vaiko of dire consequences if he did not stop his tirade on Mr. Modi, Mr. Karunanidhi said.
This episode has also forced the MDMK, which allied with the BJP during the Lok Sabha elections, to quit the NDA. When leaders in Tamil Nadu issued statements on the “crimes committed against Sri Lankan Tamils” by the Rajapaksa government, it would be proper for the BJP leaders to persuade Mr. Modi to support the cause of the Tamils. They should not behave as if they were the direct representatives of Mr. Modi, Mr. Karunanidhi said.
In fact, the BJP should inform Mr. Modi of the opposition to his greetings to Mr. Rajapaksa and ensure such incidents did not recur. Only such an attitude would augur well for the party and not the use of foul language, he said.
He also recalled how patiently the DMK had stood by the Congress-led UPA despite its backing the Sri Lankan government and how it was forced to quit the alliance because its repeated requests on behalf of the Sri Lankan Tamils fell on deaf ears.
Follow Vajpayee policy: VaikoMeanwhile, addressing a public meeting in Coimbatore, Mr. Vaiko asked the BJP to follow the former Prime Minister, A.B. Vajpayee’s policy towards Sri Lanka. While the Vajpayee government was sympathetic to the Tamils’ cause, the Narendra Modi government had chosen to do business with the Rajapaksa government, something that unsettled the Tamils in the State.
