Ramadoss senior calls programme ‘unjustifiable,’ urges Centre to stop it immediately.
CHENNAI: Even as Sri Lanka remains mired in a war-like situation, India’s decision to go ahead with a training programme for a batch of police personnel from Sri Lanka is snowballing into a political issue.
A day after 45 cops, including an officer of the DSP rank, from Colombo started training at the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) training college in Coimbatore (the same day the Sri Lankan army launched a ground offensive), the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), a key constituent of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, on Tuesday urged the Centre to stop the programme immediately.
“The Centre should stop the training immediately and send the Sri Lankan personnel back to Colombo. PMK members in Parliament will take up the issue in Delhi. Every Tamilian - in the country and abroad - believes that India should not extend help in any form to the Singhalese forces that are trampling upon Tamils in Sri Lanka,” PMK leader S Ramadoss said.
A local English daily on Tuesday reported George Francis, deputy inspector general and principal of the Central Training College II as saying that the training was part of an “interactive programme” and that the Sri Lankan cops were trained on public order management, law and order management, crowd management and criminal justice system.
Ramadoss, however, maintained that the training, which comes after the Centre’s assurance that it would not provide any kind of help to the Sri Lankan forces, could not be justified.
Meanwhile, Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) leader Vaiko, another ardent supporter of the Eelam, is yet to react on the training episode. Chief minister and DMK president M Karunanidhi, who has been guarded in his reactions on the Sri Lankan issue of late, is also silent. “I am not sure if the training has come to the notice of the chief minister. He will react if and when necessary,” DMK organising secretary TKS Elangovan told DNA.
