DMK leads outcry over dissolution of Lankan Parliament

Expressing shock at the sudden dissolution of Lankan Parliament by the country’s president Maithripala Sirisena without the constitutionally mandated support of 2/3rdof MPs, DMK president MK Stalin on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately condemn the “murder of Constitution” perpetrated in Colombo.

Remarking that President Sirisena has jeopardised the safety of Eelam Tamils by manufacturing a constitutional emergency in the island nation, Stalin, in a statement, said that Modi should realise at least now that India has the duty and responsibility to ensure the safety of Eelam Tamils who have been threatened by the political crisis and instability.

He also expressed dismay at the Modi regime remaining mute spectator to the political turmoil in Lanka, which could not be disregarded as developments in a neighbouring country.

Criticising the silence of ruling BJP from the sacking of PM Ranil Wickaramasinghe to the dissolution of the Parliament, Stalin who is also the Leader of Opposition said the Tamils across the world, including Eelam and Tamil Nadu were shell shocked by Centre remaining mute when the lives and livelihood of Tamils were being threatened. Stalin also urged the BJP government to make necessary steps to ensure that Eelam Tamils lived in peace and with dignity.

Meanwhile, BJP state president Tamilisai Soundararajan said that the BJP will continue to lend its voice in support of Sri Lankan Tamils. AIADMK leader and deputy Lok Sabha Speaker M Thambidurai condemned the developments in Sri Lanka.

MDMK leader Vaiko in a statement accused Sirisena of executing the constitutional crisis. Sirisena wanted to hand over full powers to Rajapaksa, who has failed to get the numbers by his side. After realising that the arithmetic was not in their favour, the Sirisena-Rajapaksa combo has executed this murder of democracy. In 2009, they murdered thousands of Tamils and now again they have murdered democracy in Sri Lanka, Vaiko said adding that the Tamils will never forgive the duo for the 2009 civil war.

AMMK leader TTV Dhinkaran demanded that the United Nations and the Indian government monitor the situation to ensure that Tamils were not affected. Accusing Rajapaksa of being responsible for the killings of Tamils in 2009, he said the House was dissolved at a time when Tamils all over the world were expecting annulment of his appointment as prime minister by Parliament. An “atrocious act that would root out democracy,” he added.

PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss said although it was Sri Lanka’s internal issue, the Centre cannot overlook the developments as the security of India and the welfare of the Tamils was at stake. “It is a brutal murder of democracy since Parliament’s tenure ends only in August 2020,” he said.