NEW DELHI: CPI today deplored Narendra Modi's invitation to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa for Monday's swearing-in ceremony, saying it undermined the view of the Tamil-speaking people.
"CPI deplores and disapproves this move of the new dispensation to invite Rajapaksa. This not only hurts the feelings of the Tamil people, but also implies that their views are being ignored and undermined," party National Secretary D Raja said here.
He said the decision to invite the Sri Lankan President "cannot be justified merely as a goodill gesture of inviting neighbours for the swearing-in ceremony because BJP is fully aware of the situation in Sri Lanka and outside, as May 18 was observed as the fifth anniversary of the killing of thousands of Tamil-speaking people in 2009."
The international community has also been demanding an "impartial investigation into the war crimes, the human rights violations and the genocide of the Tamils in Sri Lanka," he said, adding that UNHRC had adopted a resolution on the issue.
However, "the Congress-led UPA-II government, which had supported the resolution the first time, decided to abstain from voting this year. This was a complete betrayal of the Sri Lankan Tamil people," Raja said.
"There has hardly been any difference between Congress and BJP on foreign policy, particularly on their approach to Sri Lanka.
"But some parties in Tamil Nadu, including those led by Vaiko, Vijaykanth and Ramadoss, aligned with the BJP and campaigned for Narendra Modi telling the people that the Sri Lankan Tamil issue would be resolved once he becomes the Prime Minister," the CPI leader said.