Indian Shipping Minister and Congress strongman in Tamil Nadu G.K. Vasan on Saturday added his voice to the growing clamour against the training of Sri Lankan military personnel in India and demanded that the two officers, now in the country, should be sent back immediately.

Mr. Vasan said his party unit in the State was in full agreement with other political parties on this issue and would soon meet India’s Defence Minister A.K. Antony to press the demand.

He is the first Congress Minister to speak against his ministerial colleague Mr. Raju, who had justified the training on the ground that Sri Lanka was a friendly country.

“The Congress party in the State is firm that Sri Lankan Army officials should not be given training in the country and the two officials who are already being trained in the Defence Staff Services College, Wellington, should be sent back immediately,” he told reporters in Chennai.

A majority of Indian political parties have expressed their objection to the training given to the two Sri Lankan officials. DMK president M. Karunanidhi, a constituent of the Congress-led UPA has urged the Centre to send back the officials, and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to halt the training going on in Wellington.

Asked about Mr. Raju’s clarification, Mr. Vasan said the Congress would see to it that such training did not take place in the future.

“I have already discussed the issue with Mr. Antony and will meet him again to find a permanent solution to the issue,” he was quoted as saying by The Hindu.