Tamil leader and founder of political outfit MDMK, who is the most vocal supporter of LTTE, Vaiko Gopalswamy seems to have found a new ally in NCP. Vaiko made a stopover at Nagpur on his way to Sanchi in Madhya Pradesh to protest government’s move of inviting Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajpaksha for stone laying ceremony of a Buddhist Stupa there.
The arrangements for his stopover in Nagpur were made by NCP activists. Vaiko along with nearly 1,000 supporters, however, couldn’t enter Madhya Pradesh as he was stopped at the border in Pandurna.
Vaiko has been accusing the UPA government of having provided military support to Sri Lankan government during its action against LTTE.
He also visited Deekshabhoomi along with NCP’s city President Ajay Patil.
Vaiko also lauded NCP supremo Sharad Pawar. He said that Pawar was the greatest leader of Maharashtra and expressed his gratitude for supporting his trip.
"Pawar is my friend since last 25 years, and so I called him up before coming to Nagpur. Anil Deshmukh made all the arrangements for the trip," he told newspersons at Deekshabhoomi.
Political observers take it as a NCP maneuver to have a front against its ally Congress and also BJP. Vaiko has been targeting both the parties over Tamil genocide issue.
On being asked if he expected NCP’s support in the movement against Tamil genocide and the part played by India in it, Vaiko avoided a direct answer and said, "I appeal to everybody, who respects humanity to come and support us."
He said that inviting Rajpaksha to Sanchi was an insult to humanity since he is responsible for the Tamil genocide in Sri Lanka. He flayed both the Congress and BJP and accused the former of having provided full support to the Lankan army for wiping out the LTTE.
"Several Indian army generals visited Lanka during the strife. This was because India supported the Lankan security forces by supplying weapons and also blocking the sea routes to prevent the LTTE cadres from escaping. Even Karunanidhi played a role in it," he said.
He said that during NDA regime Lankan forces got military support from Pakistan and China. This was because the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee avoided Indian involvement.
"It was only after the UPA assumed power at the centre that the Sinhalese government started getting full-fledged support from India too," he said.
Vaiko said that supporting the Lankan government was a strategic blunder. He added that Indira Gandhi was foresighted enough to support the Tamil cause in Lanka for geopolitical reasons. With Pakistan and China also supporting the Lankan government, Indian interest is always at a stake, he said.
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