Political parties in Tamil Nadu have criticised the decision to invite Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to the swearing in ceremony of India's Prime Minister-designate, Narendra Modi.
The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Jayalalithaa, whose party emerged as the third largest party in the country after the recent election, is considering boycotting the event stating that President Rajapaksa's presence "would hurt the sentiments of the people in the state [of Tamil Nadu]", the Times of India quoted a source within the AIADMK as saying.
Criticising the decision, Vaiko of the MDMK party said: "in such a situation it has come as a major jolt that [an] invitation has been reportedly sent to Rajapaksa."
A spokesperson for the DMK, T.K.S. Elangovan, said,
"Very recently there is a record that the Tamils were killed on the island. In that case, it will definitely hurt the feelings of the Tamilians. Immediately as he takes charge as Prime Minister he invites the wrath of a state [as] Tamil Nadu, is not good".