India cannot be blamed for Sri Lanka crisis, says Ponnar Radhakrishnan

Chennai: Union Minister of state for finance and shipping Pon Radhakrishnan has claimed that the Centre had nothing to do with Mahinda Rajapaksa becoming Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.

Taking strong exception to the opposition parties implying Centre’s role, the Minister said it was not fair to accuse the Centre for each and everything that happened. “What is the basis of such accusations? Sri Lanka is a separate nation and there has been problems in that country from the beginning,” he said on Monday. Speaking to reporters Mr. Radhakrishnan said it was meaningless to blame the BJP or the Central government on the issue.

Speaker of Sri Lankan Parliament, Karu Jayasuriya had backed the claim of Ranil Wickremsinghe and had declined to endorse the sacking of Ranil as Prime Minister, he said and added, “let things first get resolved there.” On the other hand President Maithripala Sirisena asserted that the appointment of Mahinda Rajapaksa as PM was in strict accordance with the Constitution. The sudden political crisis in the island nation sparked violence on Oct. 28 leading to the death of one person and two others sustaining injuries as the bodyguards of Petroleum Minister Arjuna Ranatunga fired at the supporters of Rajapaksa when they surrounded the cabinet member. Ranatunga is a Wickremesinghe loyalist.

Reacting to the political development, PMK leader Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss had alleged that Lanka’s President and PM would try to derail all probes against them for the atrocities committed during the Eelam war. “India must interfere and stop the Lankan Parliament from giving nod for Rajapaksa’s appointment,” he said.