Sri Lankan armed forces training: SC refuses to restrain Centre

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has refused to restrain the Centre from giving training to personnel of the Sri Lankan armed forces, despite a furore by parties like the DMK and the AIADMK that have been protesting against their training programme in India.

A group of MPs of the DMK, a key constituent of the ruling coalition United Progressive Alliance (UPA), had earlier last month met Defence Minister AK Antony and demanded a halt to the training programme for Sri Lankan army personnel in New Delhi, terming it the programme an act that would affect the "sentiments of Tamils".

"We have submitted a memorandum to Defence Minister Antony; we have asked the Centre to immediately stop the training programme for Sri Lankan army personnel. These kind of acts will affect the sentiments of Tamils, who are already agitated," a DMK MP, who was part of the group, had said. "Such acts will create doubts in the minds of people of Tamil Nadu about the government's intentions." The delegation was led by TR Baalu.

The DMK and the AIADMK have been demanding a complete halt to their training programme saying that it hurt Tamil sentiments.

"We have given the memorandum... the minister said he will consider it," the MP said, adding, "There is no change in the stand of the centre to the training programme, which has hurt the sentiments of Tamils across the globe."

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and DMK chief M Karunanidhi have been repeatedly writing letters to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urging that the training programme be stopped immediately.

(With additional information from IANS)

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