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Modi’s Jaffna sojourn marred by over enthusiastic Indian security
View(s):Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Jaffna, during his two-day official visit to Sri Lanka, was not good news for the local media as well as for one well-wisher.
A posse of local and Indian journalists had turned up at the Jaffna Public Library for a meeting with Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran and other councillors. This was after it was made known that the media would be allowed entry.
Minutes before the event took place, men from the personal protection group of Premier Modi allowed selected Indian media and shut out all the local journalists. The fact that they were all accredited by the Government Department of Information was of no avail. Nor was the fact that these local journalists had been cleared thereafter to cover the event.
If that was bad enough, a worse encounter came when an over enthusiastic student from the Rajarata University thrust himself before Premier Modi and shook his hands. This was when Mr Modi was in Keerimalai for a ceremony to hand over Indian built houses to the separatist-war displaced. “If it was in India, you would have been shot,” one of them exhorted.
The student T. Sri Rajeevan was held by Indian security personnel and later handed over to the local police. He was produced before Mallakam Magistrate who released him on Rs 40,000 bail. He was ordered to appear in Courts on April 22. Police said yesterday that he was arrested on suspicion of planning to commit a criminal act.
In New Delhi, however, an Indian government spokesperson claimed their security personnel had not held anyone.
Whilst security for Premier Modi in an area where terrorism reigned six years ago, was at the highest level is laudable, over enthusiastic security personnel did no good for the Indian Premier’s image, the way they conducted themselves. They had scant respect for the media accredited by the very Government that was playing host. Worse enough, poor judgment has led to a young man’s future being besmirched by an act of goodwill.