NEW DELHI: The Sri Lankan government’s decision to arrest and court martial retired Army chief General Sarath Fonseka for ``plotting to overthrow
President Mahinda Rajapaksa’’ found its echo in India here on Wednesday with BJP taking up cudgels on his behalf.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, in a statement issued here on Wednesday, denounced the move, and urged President Rajapaksa to set Gen Fonseka free immediately.
“We are disturbed by the news reports about the arrest and detention of Gen Fonseka, the opposition candidate in the recent presidential election in Sri Lanka,’’ the BJP leader said, adding, ``As the world’s largest democracy, we cannot approve of this, particularly when it is happening so close to us. We call upon President Rajapaksa to ensure the safety and well-being of the opposition leader and request his release immediately.’’
Even though BJP agrees that the arrest and court martial of the retired Sri Lankan Army chief is an ``internal matter’’ of the island nation, India, it reckons, could not remain oblivious to the disturbing signals emerging from Colombo. The ruthlessness displayed by President Rajapaksa in ensuring the elimination of the entire top brass of the LTTE and reports of denial of basic civil rights to the Tamil refugees, the saffron party feels, was on demonstration again.
Already, the party feels, there was a growing international outrage over the latest developments in Sri Lanka. The BJP leadership is grappling with the idea of urging the Manmohan Singh government to leverage its position with Sri Lanka to ensure that Gen Fonseka was accorded his basic rights. It is also toying with the suggestion, made by sections within the party, of raking it up in Parliament during the ensuing Budget Session.
Source : IndiaTimes
President Mahinda Rajapaksa’’ found its echo in India here on Wednesday with BJP taking up cudgels on his behalf.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, in a statement issued here on Wednesday, denounced the move, and urged President Rajapaksa to set Gen Fonseka free immediately.
“We are disturbed by the news reports about the arrest and detention of Gen Fonseka, the opposition candidate in the recent presidential election in Sri Lanka,’’ the BJP leader said, adding, ``As the world’s largest democracy, we cannot approve of this, particularly when it is happening so close to us. We call upon President Rajapaksa to ensure the safety and well-being of the opposition leader and request his release immediately.’’
Even though BJP agrees that the arrest and court martial of the retired Sri Lankan Army chief is an ``internal matter’’ of the island nation, India, it reckons, could not remain oblivious to the disturbing signals emerging from Colombo. The ruthlessness displayed by President Rajapaksa in ensuring the elimination of the entire top brass of the LTTE and reports of denial of basic civil rights to the Tamil refugees, the saffron party feels, was on demonstration again.
Already, the party feels, there was a growing international outrage over the latest developments in Sri Lanka. The BJP leadership is grappling with the idea of urging the Manmohan Singh government to leverage its position with Sri Lanka to ensure that Gen Fonseka was accorded his basic rights. It is also toying with the suggestion, made by sections within the party, of raking it up in Parliament during the ensuing Budget Session.
Source : IndiaTimes
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