Vaiko objects Sri Lanka Army chief remarks

Chennai, Dec 9 (PTI) Sri Lankan Army chief's reported remarks against some politicians in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu describing them as "political jokers" triggered protests here with Marumalarchi Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (MDMK) chief Vaiko Tuesday asking the Centre to demand an "unconditional apology" from him.

Vaiko, who has strong views on the ethnic Tamils
issue, took strong objection to Gen Sarath Fonseka describing
politicians from the state as "political jokers".

The MDMK leader also shot off a letter to Indian Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh and said that the Centre should seek
an explanation from Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse for
the remarks.

"In a democracy, Army generals do not make such
criticism about leaders of a foreign country. This is an
unprecedented humiliation for the Indian government and its
people by the chief of the Sri Lankan army," he said in the
letter.

Vaiko recalled Fonseka's interview (published in a
paper in Sri Lanka) that the Indian government did not want a
ceasefire in the island nation and that the Centre would not
listen to "political jokers" in Tamil Nadu.

Fonseka's remarks came days after the Centre agreed to
send Union External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to Sri
Lanka to press for a ceasefire between the forces and
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and resumption of
dialogue.

"It is an atrocious, abominable and unjustifiable
outburst of a lunatic person who is simply to be kept in a
mental asylum. The Indian Government should have taken
immediate steps because the Sri Lankan Government has not made
any denial of this," Vaiko told television channels.

In his letter to the Indian Prime Minister, Vaiko
pointed out that the Tamil Nadu state assembly had passed a
unanimous resolution on November 12,requesting the Centre to
take steps to bring about a ceasefire in Sri Lanka.

"But even before the ink of the resolution dried,
Rajapakse stated in New Delhi that there would not be any
ceasefire, creating an impression that India did not request
for a ceasefire," he said.

The MDMK will also launch an agitation before the
Sri Lanka Deputy High Commission here from December 10,
demanding an apology from Rajapaksa and Fonseka. PTI SR
PMR