New Delhi:
The Sri Lankan government has advised its citizens not to travel to Tamil Nadu until further notice after Lankan pilgrims, visiting a church in Thanjavur in the state, were allegedly harassed. 184 pilgrims visiting the Poornimatha Church were allegedly mobbed and had taken refuge in the church. They will return to Sri Lanka.
"The Government of Sri Lanka regrets the increasing number of instances of intimidation of Sri Lankan nationals visiting Tamil Nadu for the purposes of tourism, religious pilgrimages, sporting and cultural activities and professional training," the Sri Lankan External Affairs Ministry said in a statement in Colombo.
"The Government of Sri Lanka is constrained to request Sri Lankan nationals in the interest of their security to desist from undertaking visits to Tamil Nadu until further notice," the statement said.
"In the event there is a compelling reason to visit Tamil Nadu, such a visit should take place following prior timely intimation to the Sri Lanka Deputy High Commission in Chennai," the statement added.
The advisory by the Sri Lankan government comes a day after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa ordered that two Sri Lankan football teams which were undergoing training in Chennai be sent back.
Less than two weeks ago, Ms Jayalalithaa had asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to halt an ongoing training programme for two Sri Lankan defence personnel at the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington near Ooty.
In a strongly-worded letter, she had alleged that the training had been concealed from her government, which showed scant regard for the sentiments of the people of Tamil Nadu
Last month, the Chief Minister had also opposed a similar training programme for nine Sri Lankan Air Force personnel at the Tambaram Air Force Station in Chennai. In view of her stiff opposition and protests from other parties in the state including ally DMK, the Centre had been forced to move them to the Yelahanka Airforce Station in Bengaluru in order to enable them to complete their training. Ms Jayalalithaa had dubbed the move as "not proper", adding that "instead of sending these personnel back to Sri Lanka, the Government of India exhibited excessive enthusiasm and concern for these personnel".
Ms Jayalalithaa had then described it as "anti- Tamil" and said "Tamils want action against Sri Lanka for war crimes and they will not accept this" and that "Tamils even suspect whether the Centre is acting against them".
(
With inputs from PTI)