New Delhi, May 1 (IANS): Welcoming the resolution passed by the Tamil Nadu government in the Assembly seeking permission from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to supply rice and essential medicines to the island country, the BJP on Sunday said Chief Minister M.K. Stalin should not do politics over the humanitarian cause.
Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai said, "BJP Tamil Nadu has welcomed the resolution passed in the Tamil Nadu Assembly and also the fact that the help being given by the people of Tamil Nadu is being provided to the whole of Sri Lanka. Some of the recent actions of the Tamil Nadu government, especially during 'Operation Ganga', were only aimed at scoring political mileage during an ongoing international conflict. We are only afraid that this resolution shouldn't turn out to be one such exercise."
He noted that in 2009, when the Civil War in Sri Lanka was at its peak, the UPA Government in the Centre and the DMK Government in the state watched a grave humanitarian crisis unfold.
"Despite being in power and in a position of command, they put no effort into rescuing the Tamil people from the war zone. Our concern is that this resolution passed yesterday (Saturday) should not be another record 2-hour-Fast type situation orchestrated to create a mirage that the DMK worked hard for the ceasefire during the Civil War," Annamalai said.
He mentioned that it was rather unfortunate that the resolution passed in the Tamil Nadu Assembly did not have the information about what our country has already provided to Sri Lanka and that in providing.
"The Central Government had followed the 'Neighbourhood First policy' to cement bonds with its neighbours. It is ready to walk that extra mile to help Sri Lanka out of the current crisis, well before the resolution in the Tamil Nadu Assembly was passed.
"We are hopeful that the Government of Tamil Nadu will now hand over the aid package as in the resolution passed in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on behalf of the people of Tamil Nadu to the Ministry of External Affairs to ensure smooth passage to Sri Lanka without insisting on delivering it directly and politicising the standard protocols. Ever in the Service of Nation," he added.