Jayalalithaa slams Lankan Defence Secy for his remarks

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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa on Thursday slammed Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa for his remarks that those who supported the Sri Lankan Tamil cause in the state were doing so for political mileage.

Replying to a calling attention motion moved by the Opposition parties, including DMDK and the two Left parties, she rejected Rajapaksa's remarks that the state Assembly's resolution seeking economic sanctions on the island nation for alleged human rights violations, was passed for political advantage.

"The Centre should condemn Rajapakse through an envoy," she said.

Recalling the earlier resolution seeking sanctions on Sri Lanka to rein in Colombo, Jayalalithaa said it was passed based on a UN committee report on alleged human rights violations during the conflict between the army and LTTE.

She assured members that her government would continue with its diplomatic steps on the Sri Lankan Tamils' issue and would not relent till a lasting solution was found.

Earlier, members, including DMDK MLA and senior leader S. Ramachandran and others who spoke on the motion slammed the Sri Lankan defence secretary for his remarks.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa had said all those in Tamil Nadu who supported the Sri Lankan Tamil cause were doing it for political mileage and that the island government has taken all political steps to mitigate sufferings of the Tamil minority.

On June 8, the Assembly had passed a resolution demanding that the Centre take action to get all those responsible for large-scale civilian deaths during the Sri Lankan civil war, declared as 'war criminals' by UN. It also demanded economic sanctions against the island nation to pressure the country into giving equal status and dignity to Tamils.