Karunanidhi better person to visit Sri Lanka: Jayalalithaa

Chennai (PTI): Virtually turning down Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa's invitation to visit the island nation, AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa said her trip would serve no purpose as she was anti-LTTE and asked Chief Minister M Karunanidhi to go as he was "close" to the rebels.

Thanking Rajapaksa for his invitation, she told reporters that the Sri Lankan President wanted her to visit the island to prevail upon the LTTE and said, "They (LTTE) might not listen to me and it is not the right time to visit Sri Lanka."

However, Jayalalithaa said Karunanidhi should visit Sri Lanka as he was "close" to the LTTE and could prevail upon the outfit to agree for a ceasefire.

Rajapaksa's invitation to Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa was conveyed to External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee during his meeting with the Sri Lankan President in Colombo on Tuesday.

Claiming that DMK leader Karunanidhi was a "staunch supporter" of the Tigers, she said, "If Karunanidhi makes an appeal to the LTTE or offers advice there is a possiblity that they will listen to him.

Emphasising that the need of the hour was a ceasefire in the island nation, Jayalalithaa said, "This can be only achieved if the LTTE lays down arms and surrenders. It is only then that we can avoid killing of the innocent Sri Lankan Tamils".

Asked about Karunanidhi's legal notice to her demanding unconditional apology for her allegation that he "siphoned off" money from the Sri Lankan Relief Fund constituted by the Tamil Nadu Government, Jayalalithaa said that she had said what "people are saying. If Karunanidhi issues a legal notice to me for this, he had do it for all the people."

- The Hindu