Centre 'mischievously concealing' training to Lankan forces

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Accusing the Centre of showing 'excessive enthusiasm' in training Lankan defence personnel, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Saturday said it has 'mischievously concealed' the training being given to two Lankan officers in Tamil Nadu since May and demanded that they be sent back.

"I have expressed in no unclear terms the strong views of my government on imparting training to defence personnel belonging to Sri Lanka," she said in a strongly worded letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recalling her vehement opposition to such training earlier.

She said nine personnel belonging to the Sri Lankan Air Force, who were undergoing technical training at the Air Force Station at Tambaram here, were relocated to the Yelahanka Air Force Station at Bangalore after her opposition.

"This action itself was not proper because instead of sending these personnel back to Sri Lanka, the Government of India exhibited excessive enthusiasm and concern for these personnel by relocating them to Yelahanka Air Force Station, Bengaluru, in order to enable them to complete their training," Jayalalithaa said.

Such a 'reprehensible attitude' on the Centre's part was even now reflected in permitting two Sri Lankan defence personnel Major Dissanayaka Mohottalalage Vengra and Captain Hewawasam Kadaudage to undergo 11 months training at Defence Services Staff College at Wellington from May 19, she said.

"It is very clear that this fact of ongoing training since May 2012 has been mischievously concealed from my government, showing scant regard for the views of my government as well as for the sentiments of the people of Tamil Nadu."

She requested Singh to instruct the Defence Ministry to immediately halt the training being given to the two Lankan defence personnel and send them back to Sri Lanka immediately.

Jayalalithaa had in July strongly opposed the training being given to nine Lankan defence personnel after which they were relocated to the Yelahanka air station in Bengaluru.

She had insisted that they should not be trained anywhere in India, saying the desire of Tamil people was to see those (Sri Lankan defence forces) charged with war crimes (during the last leg of the 'Eelam' war) being punished.