Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Tuesday moved resolution in special assembly session demanding India boycott CHOGM completely. The assembly had passed a similar resolution earlier as well. The assembly stressed that they do not want even External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid to attend the meeting.
Earlier in the day, Salman Khurshid said that India's growing presence in Sri Lanka should not be compromised and that India would not boycott the upcoming CHOGM.
Khurshid said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's decision not to attend the meet in no way was a protests against the island nation's alleged war crimes against Tamils.
"I am going to Sri Lanka, India is not boycotting the CHOGM," said Khurshid clarifying the he will participate in the meet.
Khurshid also added that the Centre is committed towards the rehabilitation of Tamils in Sri Lanka. "Our efforts in Sri Lanka have been a success. We have a huge commitment to the development of the north east province of Sri Lanka," he added.
The Prime Minister, under immense pressure from Tamil parties not to visit Colombo to attend the CHOGM, recently sent a letter to the Sri Lankan President expressing his unavailability for the meet. Tamil Nadu political parties and Congress leaders from the state have been pressuring the Prime Minister not to visit Colombo.
They have been campaigning that Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has violated all human rights during the war with LTTE and the Lankan government should be charged with war crimes.
The meeting is scheduled in Colombo on November 15.
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