Alleging that Tamil women in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts in northern Sri Lanka were being forced to marry Sri Lankan Army personnel, DMK leader M. Karunanidhi on Monday asked the Union government to ascertain the facts and take it up with the neighbouring country.
In a statement, Mr. Karunanidhi said students of Jaffna University were arrested and tortured in prison by the Army for observing “heroes’ day” recently.
“The mere mention of the name Yazh (short for Yazhppanam or Jaffna) provokes the Sinhalese. Tamil scholars were attacked in the Jaffna World Tamil Conference and the Jaffna University library was burnt down,” he said and wanted India’s intervention to stop the incidents.
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Responding to the State government’s explanation to the High Court that the structure erected in front of MGR memorial was not the “Two Leaves” symbol of the AIADMK, Mr. Karunanidhi wondered if it was not the party’s symbol why the government unveiled it in a hurry, even without printing an invitation.
“Of course they did not say it was the symbol of the DMK,” he quipped.
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Mr. Karunanidhi said that though one year had passed since the fire broke out in a building in the Ezhilagam complex, nothing had moved despite the fact the tenders were called for seven months ago for reconstruction.