The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Jayalalithaa, has expressed her dismay at the invitation of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to the swearing in ceremony of India's Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi, stating that it has “deeply upset the people of Tamil Nadu”.

In a statement released on Thursday, Jayalalithaa, who heads India's third largest party, said,

“The entire country and indeed the entire world is aware of the various Resolutions passed in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly during the last three years, with regard to the war crimes, ethnic pogrom and genocide perpetrated against the Sri Lankan Tamil people by the Sri Lankan Army under the Rajapaksa Government in Sri Lanka during the final stages of the civil war in Sri Lanka.”

“We had demanded an economic embargo on Sri Lanka and urged that India should take the lead in bringing a Resolution in the United Nations for those accused of war crimes and genocide to be brought before the International Court of Justice and that they should be made to face trial.”

The Chief Miinster went on to add,

“This unfortunate move of inviting the Sri Lankan President to attend the Swearing-in Ceremony of the new Prime Minister of India has deeply upset the people of Tamil Nadu and wounded their sentiments all over again. This is tantamount to rubbing salt into the wounds of the already deeply injured Tamil psyche.”