Swamy told select
journalists on the sidelines of the Sri Lankan Army’s Defence Seminar
here on Monday, that India’s policy on Lanka is being decided by the
Government of India, and not the states, though the latter may be
consulted.
Elaborating, Swamy
said that he is in Lanka attending the army seminar, despite protests by
certain sections in Tamil Nadu, because both Prime Minister Modi and
BJP chief Amit Shah had given him the green signal to attend.
“In November this
year, the Indian National Security Advisor will visit Sri Lanka and
Prime Minister Modi may come early next year,” Swamy said.
“The BJP has a
majority in parliament. We will not surrender to the States. There will
be no knee jerk reactions as a result of protests in Tamil Nadu,” he
added.
Asked if Lankan
military personnel will be trained in Indian military establishments in
TN, Swamy said: “in due time they will be.”
On the TN
government’s demand for the retrieval of Kachchativu from Lanka, the
BJP leader said that the matter has been settled.
“It is not true that
Tamil Nadu was not consulted before the agreement on the island was
signed. Indira Gandhi had consulted Karunanidhi,” he claimed.
Asked how the Modi
government can resist pressure from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister
Jayalalithaa on the Lankan issue, Swamy said that Jayalalithaa is a
patriot who will uphold the national interest.
“I had addressed meetings in Coimbatore and Madurai and the Tamil Nadu Government had given me full security,” he said.
On the fishermen
issue, Swamy said that the problem can be settled if the TN fishermen
are allowed to fish on the Lankan side of the maritime boundary line for
two or three years to allow the restoration of marine life on the
Indian side of the sea.
Asked about Lanka’s
growing relations with China, Swamy said that Lanka has been keeping
India “in the loop” in regard to its dealings with China, The New India
Express reports.
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