BJP tacitly backs UPA on Lankan Tamils

(October 16, New Delhi, Sri Lanka Guardian) The BJP which continued its attack against the UPA government on the Sethusamudram project, referred to by the BJP as the Ram Sethu issue, is, however, tacitly supportive of the same government on the issue of Sri Lankan Tamils.

This is notwithstanding the fact that almost all the parties in Tamil Nadu have got together and issued an ultimatum to the UPA government to stop aiding the Sri Lankan government, which is engaged in a fierce combat with the Sri Lankan Tamil Tigers, the LTTE.

Besides, the BJP is desperately searching for allies in Tamil Nadu where it has hardly any presence. It is hoping to align with the AIADMK, led by former Chief Minister J Jayalalitha. But so far Jayalalitha has not responded to their overtures.

On the Tamil parties’ ultimatum, BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad, who is also the party in charge of Tamil Nadu, merely said, “Our president Rajnath Singh has said that “we are all for the integrity of Sri Lanka. But it is sad that the human rights of Tamilians are being trampled upon. We have already said that the Government of India should take it up with the Sri Lankan government.”

Prasad also dismissed lightly the threat of resignation, saying, “First of all, all parties are not party to this decision. The AIADMK and the BJP did not participate.”

Asked to specify the BJP stand on Tamil parties’ demand to stop aiding Sri Lanka, Prasad said, “They are all part of the UPA government. It is for the UPA government to take cognisance of their sentiments.”

But when it came to the Sethusamudram project, which seeks to dredge Ram Sethu and create a corridor for ships in the Gulf of Mannar, Prasad, who is opposed to the project, viciously attacked the UPA government for not respecting the religious sentiments of the Hindus.

Referring to the government stand in the Supreme Court yesterday in which it contended that the Ram Sethu did not hold much religious value for Hindus, Prasad said, “Who has given this authority to the UPA government? What is the historical, philosophical, cultural, spiritual basis for the stand, which is highly condemnable?”

He also wondered, “Can the UPA government take this kind of a derogatory stand against the symbols of other faiths?” - Sri Lanka Guardian