New Delhi: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa will boycott prime minister-elect Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony tomorrow.
Sources say the decision has been taken in the wake of Modi's invite to Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa to attend his swearing-in. Rajapaksa has confirmed that he will attend.
While the sentiments of Tamils living in India and elsewhere towards the Sri Lankan Tamils were known, a change of regime at the Centre "in no way alters the already existing strained relations between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka", she had said in a statement.
The AIADMK supremo, a strident critic of the Rajapaksa administration, had said Modi could have avoided the 'ill-advised' move of inviting the head of the island republic, especially with regard to the Centre-state relations.
Most political parties in Tamil Nadu allege that civilian casualties and human rights violations against Tamils peaked during the last leg of the war against the LTTE with Rajapaksa in charge.
The BJP's own ally, the MDMK, said Rajapaksa's presence in the oath ceremony will hurt the feelings of the Tamil people.
The DMK, headed by M Karunanidhi, said Modi could have "avoided" inviting the Sri Lankan President and also that the Prime Minister should "understand the feelings" of the people of Tamil Nadu.
