TNA condemns grenade attack on Tamil MP's house in Ampaa'rai

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 October 2008, 12:32 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA), in a report released Wednesday, condemned the grenade attack on TNA Ampaa'rai district parliamentarian Chandra Nehru Chandrakanthan's house in Thirukkoayil Tuesday, and accused Sri Lanka government of using paramilitary operative Iniyabarathi to prevent TNA parliamentarians of Eastern Province from fulfilling their responsibilities to the constituents. Paramilitary opertive Iniyabarathi functions as Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa's Ampaa'rai district coordinator.

The report also called on the government to hold an impartial inquiry into the attack and to stop all violence against the TNA parliamentarians. The following is the excerpt of the report: The Sri Lanka government is obstructing the Tamil National Alliance parliamentarians of Eastern Province from engaging in political programs for their constituents, using paramilitary groups, according to its pre-planned scheme. The grenade attack on our fellow parliamentarian Chandra Nehru Chandrakanthan's house at Thurukkoayil is a ploy to intimidate the TNA parliamentarians. There was police protection to his house when it was attacked. His mother who was asleep in the house has luckily escaped death. The Sri Lanka government has a hand in this attack. When MP Chandra Nehru Chandrakanthan went to his native place Thirukkoayil after appearing at Akkaraipattu magistrate court 16 September in the case against Iniyabarathi, the President's coordinator for Ampaa'rai district, for an attempt on Chandrakanthan's life, Iniyabarathi had instigated the public to demonstrate against Chandrakanthan. Though Chandrakanthan had brought this violation of his special privilege as a Member of Parliament to the Speaker of the House, no action has been taken yet. The police do not take any action on the violence unleashed against the TNA parliamentarians. Similar acts of intimidation by paramilitary groups targeting the TNA parliamentarians had taken place in the past too. Though these acts had been brought to the notice of the House of Representatives, no constructive measures had been taken. Though the government boasts that democracy has blossomed in the East, even the people's representatives of the East lack safety and security there. This is a pre-planned scheme of the Sri Lanka government and TNA condemns it in the strongest terms.