British premier remark on rights violations in Lanka wins Vasan’s heart

Chennai:

Even as Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is drawing the ire of politicians in Tamil Nadu over India’s participation in Commonwealth Heads of Government meet in Sri Lanka, British Prime Minister David Cameroon’s statement demanding independent probe into alleged human rights violations against ethnic Tamils has won the heart of his cabinet minister G K Vasan.

The Congress leader and Union Shipping Minister termed the remark by British Prime Minister in the just concluded Commonwealth Heads of Government meet in Sri Lanka as “positive”.

“Nobody can deny his positive efforts in two days,” the minister said while refusing to elaborate further

Interestingly, the minister did defend the representation of India by Slaman Khurshid. “I am convinced and justified by the representation of India by the Ministry of External Affairs and the high level team in the CHOGM,” the minister said.

Vasan felt that Khurshid would have enough opportunity to have meeting with all the leaders and take up the issue on human rights violation in the Island nation with the representatives taking part in CHOGM.

He also said that one should not forget that India has also raised the rights violation issue in the United Nations. He also hit out at the statement made by Rear Admiral Atul Kumar that attack on Tamil fishermen was not on Indian waters.

“It is an unfortunate remark. I will take up the matter with the highest official.” he said. Vasan also said that the Shipping Ministry was trying to find an early solution to attack on Tamil fisherman.