VCK Calls SL Death Sentence Politically Motivated Decision

PUDUCHERRY: Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leader Thol Thirumavalavan said the death sentences awarded to the five Rameshwaram fishermen was politically motivated decision of the Lankan government.

Addressing reporters, he said the Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa by awarding the fishermen the death penalty had acted to instill fear in the fishermen and keep them from helping LTTE’s resurgence.

The VCK leader said the Indian government should intervene and ensure that the death sentence is annulled. The Lankan president has the power to do so under their country’s laws.

Referring to the speech of Sri Lanka’s Northern Province’s chief minister, Vigneswaran, at a recent function in Chennai where he explained how Tamil Nadu should intervene in the Eelam issue, Thirumavalavan said the Tamil CM of the island-nation had kept mum regarding the issue of the five fishermen who were sentenced to death.

Thirumavalan welcomed the decision of former Union Minister G K Vasan to leave the Congress party in Tamil Nadu and float a new party. He said that the national parties - Congress, BJP, Left are not considering the rights and feelings of the party units in regional states. However, he was of the opinion that the floating of a new party will not effect major political changes in Tamil Nadu. But he recognised that there are eighteen months more to go for the next assembly elections.

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