The fact that India has invited the Sri Lankan President, Maithripala Sirisena, the Leader of Opposition, R.Sampanthan, to the Simhasth Kumbh Mela being held at Ujjain, is considered politically significant, the New Indian Express reported today.
Although Sirisena and Sampanthan are not on par in protocol, the fact that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited the First Citizen of Sri Lanka and the leader of the Tamils, shows the good relations he has with both and is politically “quite significant”, said M.A. Sumanthiran, TNA spokesman and MP for Jaffna district.
Sumanthiran said that ever since Modi assumed office in 2014, the TNA and Modi have been maintaining “regular contact”. And right through, the Indian PM has been showing concern for the Lankan Tamil’s welfare.
Though the official invitation to Sampanthan was extended by the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, it was done at the behest of the Indian Prime Minister, Sumanthiran pointed out.
-Agencies
