New Delhi:
AIADMK supremo and Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa boycotted the Modi swearing-in ceremony on May 26 in view of his invite to Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa despite objections from Tamil parties.
Jayalalithaa, who has opposed participation of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, also decided against sending a representative to the ceremony.
The ruling AIADMK decided against sending a representative as it would be embarrassing to be seen in Rajapaksa's company.
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and Kerala CM Oommen Chandy also turned down the invites.
Jayalalithaa had recently said it was “unfortunate” that Modi had invited Rajapaksa, adding that the “ill-advised” move could have been avoided as it amounted to “rubbing salt into the wounds of the already deeply injured Tamil psyche.” She referred to the various resolutions passed in the state Assembly demanding an economic embargo on Sri Lanka among others over the alleged war crimes by the island nation’s Army under the Rajapaksa Government against Tamils during the final stages of “civil war”.
In the past, Jayalalithaa and Modi had attended the swearing-in of each other as Chief Minister.
Almost all the Tamil parties have condemned Modi's move to invite Rajapaksa. DMK president M Karunanidhi criticised the move as also BJP’s allies MDMK, led by Vaiko, PMK and DMDK.
Vaiko held a black-flag demonstration in New Delhi and Chennai against the invite to Rajapaksa on May 26.
