Chief minister J. Jayalalithaa on Saturday lashed out at the Centre for its “reprehensible attitude” in permitting two defence personnel of Sri Lanka to undergo training in TN, and demanded that they be sent back to their country.
“It is very clear that this fact of ongoing training since May this year 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 charged.
The defence ministry is reportedly considering the demand. “As far as we are concerned, this is a defence ministry matter and we are in touch with them,” said foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai.
Centre ‘considering’ Jaya demand
The defence ministry is reportedly considering the demand of Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa that the two defence personnel of Sri Lanka, being trained in the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington, be sent back.
“As far as we are concerned, this is a defence ministry matter and we are in touch with them,” foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai told reporters in New Delhi on Saturday when asked about the issue.
In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, copies of which were made available to the media here, Ms Jayalalithaa said the two defence personnel - Major Dissanayaka Mohottalalage Vengra of the Sri Lankan army and Captain Hewawasam Kandaudage of the Sri Lankan navy - were undergoing a 11-month training at Defence Services Staff College from August 19.
Condemning this, she urged Mr Singh to give suitable instructions to the defence ministry to immediately halt the training and arrange to send the two back to Sri Lanka immediately.
Ms Jayalalithaa lashed out at the Centre for its “reprehensible attitude” and “mischievously concealing” the matter “from my government, showing scant regard for the views of my government as well as for the sentiments of the people of Tamil Nadu”.
Referring to her July 16 letter, she said, “I have expressed in no unclear terms the strong views of my government on imparting training to defence personnel belonging to Sri Lanka.
Because of my vehement opposition, nine personnel belonging to the Sri Lankan air force, undergoing technical training at the Air Force Station, Tambaram, Tamil Nadu, were relocated to the Yelahanka Air Force Station, Bengaluru.”
This action itself was not proper because instead of sending them back to Lanka, the Centre “exhibited excessive enthusiasm and concern for these personnel by relocating them to Yelahanka Air Force Station, in order to enable them to complete their training”, Ms Jayalalithaa charged.
Political parties take to roads in Kovai
Coimbatore: A series of protests were organised by political parties in Coimbatore city on Saturday to condemn the Central government's act of permitting Sri Lankan defense personnel to train at the Defence Services Staff College at Wellington in Ooty.
Twenty one activists of Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam, led by its president Mr Ramakrishnan, attempted to barge into the Air Force Administrative College in Red Fields area in the afternoon. However, the Race Course police intervened and thwarted their attempt.
Mr Ramakrishnan said that the Central government had hurt the sentiments of Tamils by allowing Sri Lankan defense personnel to undergo training in Tamil Nadu.
Meanwhile activists of Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) led by its city unit secretary R.R. Mohankumar gheraoed the passport office in the afternoon for the same issue. The police apprehended 44 MDMK cadres including three women.