Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has slammed the Indian government over reports that the Indian Coast Guard is participating in military exercises with the Sri Lankan Navy.

In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday, Jayalalithaa said,

“I am totally dismayed to note from media reports that the Indian Coast Guard is participating in a marine defence exercise and has deputed ships, officers and men to Trincomalee, to participate in this exercise which is reported to be commencing there on 21st December, 2013.”

“This is in complete and callous disregard of the strong views and emotions of the people of Tamil Nadu clearly and unambiguously conveyed in my earlier letters to the Prime Minister, through Assembly resolutions and through protests, agitations and demonstrations by the people of Tamil Nadu.”

“The Government of India has still chosen to ride rough shod over the groundswell of emotions in Tamil Nadu and has persisted with its policy stance towards Sri Lanka.”

She went on to add that far from chastising the Sri Lankan state,

“In fact, the Government of India has extended on open hand of cooperation to Sri Lankan Navy through the defence related exercise.”

“Such an overt act of defence cooperation with a nation that puts down its own hapless Tamil minority citizens and perpetrates serious human rights violations upon them, can only be termed as outrageous and condemnable.”

The Chief Minister called on the Indian government too,

“issue a clear policy direction that the Ministry of Defence should not hereafter provide training, or engage in any form of co-operation with the Sri Lankan Armed Forces, until satisfactory and credible action is taken by the Government of Sri Lanka”.