The Indian media has reported that the BJP has termed the Indian special envoy’s visit to Sri Lanka to assess the progress of rehabilitation of displaced people as”mere eyewash.”
The BJP president for the southern state of Tamil Nadu, Pon Radhakrishnan, has reportedly criticized Home Minister P. Chidambaram for claiming that the initiative was taken at the behest of Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi’s effort.
According to Express Buzz, the BJP official has said the decision to send a special envoy was taken when President Mahinda Rajapaksa met Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi.
Alleging that the special envoy was sent only following a request from Sri Lanka, he has said, “The visit of special envoy was to boost the image of Rajapaksa in the international fora.”
The BJP has added: “If the government is really serious, then the special envoy should bring to light the plight of refugees in camps and how they have endured the monsoon, the situation outside the camp, whether they have access to their land or is it given to Sinhala settlers.”
“With threat from China in the north, the Chinese presence in the south is strategically dangerous for the nation’s security.”