Karuna forms new political party; fires salvo at TNA

Former deputy minister Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias Karuna Amman on Saturday floated a new political party to press for all Tamil issues as he accused the main party representing the minority community of not doing enough for the Tamils.

The former top LTTE military commander, who later became a deputy minister in the former government, formed the Tamil United People’s Front in the eastern town of Batticaloa.

The Tamil United People’s Front (TUPF) was formed with the objective of pressing for all Tamil issues, Muralitharan told reporters.

He accused the main Tamil party Tamil National Alliance (TNA) of not doing enough for the Tamils.

“It was us in the LTTE who created the TNA,” he said.

Muralitharan’s break away from the LTTE in 2004 had weakened its eastern recruitment and fighting capability. Soon after leaving the LTTE he had formed Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Puligal (TMVP).

Later, when the civil war ended in 2009 with the defeat of the LTTE, he joined President Mahinda Rajapaksa in 2010 and became Vice President of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the second largest national party.

Muralitharan was later made a deputy minister in the Rajapaksa government. After Rajapaksa’s defeat, he left the SLFP. Late last month, he appeared publicly with Rajapaksa again by attending the Joint Opposition rally.

Source: PTI

-Agencies