Karunanidhi blames Jaya for attacks on Lankan pilgrims

Toeing the Centre's line for cordial

ties with Sri Lanka, key UPA ally DMK chief M Karunanidhi

today virtually blamed Chief Minister Jayalalithaa for attacks

on Lankan pilgrims, saying her action in sending back a

football team from that country had led to the incidents. "(Jayalalithaa's) efforts to show that this government is

concerned for Sri Lankan Tamils by sending back the football

players led to attacks on pilgrims," forcing Colombo to issue

an advisory to its citizens against travelling to Tamil Nadu,

Karunanidhi said. The DMK patriarch said sports and cultural ties should be

kept away from politics. "It is not acceptable that we Tamils, who are not opposed

to any national race, attack people on pilgrimage and cultural

exchange but we will continue to oppose Sri Lanka's action

against humanity," he said and appealed for calm in the

interest of the 'Eelam Tamils.' He said actions spurred by emotions will result in

"unwanted consequences". "The relations between Tamils of Sri Lanka and those in the

state are often described as that of an umbilical cord. In

such circumstances, suddenly sending back the Sri Lankan

players and attacks on pilgrims will affect bilateral

relations," he said in a statement. "With lakhs of Tamils in Sri Lanka already suffering to

survive under present circumstances, we should not create a

situation that would further increase their difficulties." Karunanidhi's statement comes against the backrop of 178

Lankan pilgrims on a visit to the state being targeted thrice

by pro-Tamil outfits on Monday and Tuesday. The pilgrims faced

two protests and an attack on three buses carrying them to the

Tiruchirapalli airport yesterday. Jayalalithaa had on Sunday ordered sending back a football team from Royal College, which played a friendly against

Customs department in Chennai on Friday last. She had also

directed that eight students of a Lankan school who had come

for a tournament with a city-based school be sent back. A spokesperson of the External Affairs Ministry had in

Delhi said yesterday that people-to-people contacts were

integral part of close historical, cultural, ethnic and

civilisational ties between India and Sri Lanka. Karunanidhi also recalled India's assurance that Lankans

visiting India will be given adequate protection. He said a UN team was scheduled to visit Sri Lanka to take

stock of the situation by meeting war-affected Tamils and

creating "unnecessary problems," in such a time would only

harm the Lankan Tamils.