Over 3,000 fishermen gathered in Ramneswaram, shouting slogans condemning Swamy and burning an effigy of the senior BJP leader. Effigies were also burnt in Salem, Nagapattinam, and Panruti as activists from parties such as the Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi and Mukkulathu Pulikal held protests.

Swamy, who recently attended a defence seminar in Sri Lanka, said the Sri Lankan government should not release the boats of Tamil Nadu fishermen that they were holding in their custody.

The BJP’s State Chief distanced the party from Swamy’s remarks and noted the matter had been reported to the “party high command”.

Speaking to the Tamil Guardian, Tamil Nadu based activist Saravana Kumar from the Ilanthamizhagam Movement said,

 “Swamy has been intervening on the Sri Lankan issue since the 1980’s, saying there is no support for the Eelam Tamils in Tamil Nadu. But the current situation clearly shows that if he tries to play any role against the Tamils and Tamil sentiments, the people will never let him.”

Businesses in Jaffna are suffering as traders from the South are setting up stalls and shops across the North without having to obtain any government permission, said the Valikamam South Traders Union leader Layan C Hariharan.

Speaking at the Valikamam South Chamber of Commerce’s General meeting, Hariharan said that whilst businesses in Jaffna are required to obtain permission to set up from the regional council every year, traders from the South are coming into the North and setting up businesses and stalls without any such requirements.

MDMK Chief Vaiko has appeared before a special tribunal reviewing India’s ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on Wednesday.

The LTTE ban was recently extended by five years under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act in India.

The special tribunal, headed by Justice G P Mittal, was set up in July to review the ban and had issued a call for responses.

The chairman of Sri Lanka’s presidential commission into disappeared people said the probe will only be able to provide details of individuals involved in such cases, and will not be able to make decisions on punishments.

Chairman Maxwell Paranagama said any decisions on punitive measures can only be taken by President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Attorney General, while speaking to the BBC Sinhala Service.

Panaragama pointed out that although the new international advisory panel was appointed by the commission, the panel will not become “a stakeholder” in the probe.

A shop selling shoes with the images of Buddha has been raided by police in the southern Sri lankan town of Balangoda, after a tip off.

Two people were arrested by local police, who said they will carry out further investigations, reported Colombo Gazette.