“I have a duty to expose the mischievous conduct of the TNA parliamentarians”: Congress ex-MP Anbarasu

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) should not be entertained in India as it is engaged in a despicable campaign to drag India into internal politics of Sri Lanka by falsely asserting that India supports Gen. Sarath Fonseka in the forthcoming Sri Lankan Presidential election, says Dr. R. Anbarasu, former MP and secretary, Congress Parliamentary Party.

He says that a four-member delegation consisting of MPs R. Sampanthan, Mavai Senathirajah, Suresh Premachandran and Selvam Adaikalanathan came to New Delhi last week after telling Sri Lankan media that they have been invited by India for talks with the government leaders.

Mr. Mavai Senathirajah, a prominent member of the delegation, had given an interview subsequently to the Sri Lankan newspaper “Uthayan” saying that India has endorsed the TNA’s decision to support Gen. Fonseka in the forthcoming presidential election. This news item has received wide publicity in Sri Lanka, particularly among the Sri Lankan Tamils.

Dr.Anbarasu says his enquiries revealed there was no official Indian invitation for the TNA delegation to visit India. Both the External Affairs Minister’s office and the National Security Advisor’s office confirmed that no such invitation was ever made.

He also said according to Sri Lankan media reports, the members of TNA delegation were only able to meet Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and some unnamed Indian officials during their stay in New Delhi.

Mr. Anbarasu further says they might have been sent to New Delhi by Gen. Fonseka, who is very keen to enlist the support of India, so that it could be used to influence Sri Lankan Tamil voters.

The mischievous statement made by Mavai Senathirajah to “Uthayan” that India has endorsed the TNA’s decision to support Gen Fonseka, is aimed at demonstrating to the Tamils in Sri Lanka, particularly the Indian origin Plantation Tamils, that the former Lankan Army Commander enjoys the support of India. What Senathirajah implies is that President Mahinda Rajapaksha has lost favour with India and India has now accepted Fonseka as a viable alternative, the Congress leader says.

“It is a calculated mischievous political move to bring India into conflict with Sri Lanka as any indication of support to either of the main candidates would amount to interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign country,” he says. “India has good neighbourly relations with Sri Lanka and it appears that the TNA MPs who are pro LTTE would like to damage our relations with Sri Lanka.”

Dr. Anbarasu says, “As a senior Congress member from Tamilnadu who has been associated with my late leaders Shrimathi Indira Gandhi and Shri Rajiv Gandhi in finding a peaceful settlement of the Sri Lankan Tamils problem, I have a duty to expose the mischievous conduct of the TNA parliamentarians,” He further says he has taken this matter to the attention of the External affairs Minister Mr. S M Krishna, National Security advisor M K Narayanan and Foreign Secretary Ms. Nirupama Rao and has requested them to issue an official denial and clear any misunderstandings that would have been created in the minds of the present Sri Lankan government leaders.

Mr Anbarasu says: “It is an established fact that the Tamil National Alliance MPs are pro LTTE and they were made Members of Parliament at the last Parliamentary election by the LTTE leader Prabagaran after the TNA publicly acknowledged that the LTTE is the sole representative of the Sri Lankan Tamils.”

He adds further: “It is believed that the present LTTE leaders are behind TNA’s decision to support General Sarath Fonseka as the LTTE media had made it known that they would like to use Sarath Fonseka as a weapon to destroy President Mahinda Rajapakshe as a revenge for the death of Prabagaran and other LTTE leaders in May last year. The present LTTE leadership continues to blame India for the defeat and destruction of LTTE.”

- AsianTribune