The Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa Thursday was "livid" on hearing the news that a delegation of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) was to meet with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Sunday Times reports.
The meeting, which took place on Saturday, was preceded by a meeting with the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and included the TNA leader R. Sampanthan and MPs Mavai Senathirajah, M.A. Sumanthiran, Suresh Premachandran, Ponnambalam Selvarajah and Selvan Adaikalanathan.
According to the newspaper, prior to the meeting, President Rajapaksa "conveyed to Sampanthan his displeasure through an emissary" and "was angry that there was no intimation to the Government", believing the meeting "was aimed at cornering him and his Government."
"The President had pointed out that wherever Sampanthan and party went, they would eventually have to come to him. Otherwise, they will not be able to talk about resolving issues," a source close to the president told the Sunday Times.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Modi called for a political solution in Sri Lanka "that addresses the aspirations of the Tamil community for equality, dignity, justice and self respect within the framework of a united Sri Lanka". See here for more.
The meeting, which took place on Saturday, was preceded by a meeting with the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and included the TNA leader R. Sampanthan and MPs Mavai Senathirajah, M.A. Sumanthiran, Suresh Premachandran, Ponnambalam Selvarajah and Selvan Adaikalanathan.
According to the newspaper, prior to the meeting, President Rajapaksa "conveyed to Sampanthan his displeasure through an emissary" and "was angry that there was no intimation to the Government", believing the meeting "was aimed at cornering him and his Government."
"The President had pointed out that wherever Sampanthan and party went, they would eventually have to come to him. Otherwise, they will not be able to talk about resolving issues," a source close to the president told the Sunday Times.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Modi called for a political solution in Sri Lanka "that addresses the aspirations of the Tamil community for equality, dignity, justice and self respect within the framework of a united Sri Lanka". See here for more.