Thirumavalavan denied entry in Sri Lanka

Viduthalai Chiruththaigal Katchi (VCK) leader Thol. Thirumavalavan Viduthalai Chiruthaigal president Thol. Thirumavalavan and two of his associates were sent back from the Colombo airport on arrival from Chennai early on Tuesday. They were here to attend the funeral of Parvathy Ammal, the mother of slain LTTE leader Prabakaran.

Speaking over phone, Mr.Thirumavalavn said that soon after he landed, he and the two others were escorted to the office of the Chief Immigration Officer at the airport. He was told that he will have to go back and will not be allowed entry.

Mr.Thirumavalavan asked if there was any criminal case against him in Sri Lanka and also informed the CIO that he was a member of parliament. “I asked them what the reason to send me back was. But there was no satisfactory reply,” he said. The CIO maintained that these were his instructions from the Controller General of Immigration and that he was in no position to entertain any requests from the MP.

Mr.Thirumavalavan said that he requested to speak to the Controller General, but this could not be arranged at that hour. He said that at the register maintained at the CIO’s office, his name figured in a no-entry list and had some comments which read: ‘do not allow to enter; send back to India.’

Mr.Thirumavalavan said that he asked the reason behind his deportation and maintained that he would not leave until the reason was given. There was no satisfactory response, he said and added that he left because he did not want a diplomatic stand off over the issue. There was also no stamp on his passport, which said that he was deported or denied entry.

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