TNA fails to meet Indian PM

A request by the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) delegation to meet Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has been turned down and the members were yesterday on their way back to Colombo, party sources said.

The delegation led by TNA leader R. Sampanthan, was in India for nearly two weeks trying to seek an appointment with the Indian Premier, but failed in their attempt and instead was able to meet only National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan.

“We are disappointed that we could not meet the Prime Minister”, TNA MP M. Raviraj said.

However, during the meeting with Narayanan they had explained about the current situation including the escalation of violence and the plight of the displaced persons, he said.He said they urged India to look into the humanitarian issues of the displaced in the north and east.

The delegation comprising TNA MPs Mavai Senathiraja, Gajendra Kumar Ponnambalam, Selvam Adaikalanathan, Suresh Premachandran and M.K. Sivajilingam also met Vaiko and Thirumavalan, leader of a political party that campaigns for the rights of Sri Lankan Tamils. Mr. Raviraj said they would make fresh attempts to meet the Indian Premier.