CPI today demanded India keep away from the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Sri Lanka and rework its policy towards the island nation in the wake of a purported expose which showed a young woman was captured and killed by the Lankan army.

“The Channel 4 expose of gang rape and killing of Isai Priya, a media person in Sri Lanka, is a barbaric inhuman act by the Sri Lankan army,” CPI leader D Raja charged. This is one of many evidences to accuse Sri Lankan government for “horrendous war crimes and human rights violations”, he added.

Against this backdrop, the CHOGM becomes an issue. “It is appropriate that the government has to keep away from the Summit. The Commonwealth is not such a multilateral forum that the country cannot keep off,” he told PTI while pointing out that Canada has boycotted the CHOGM in Sri Lanka.

Raja alleged UPA government “is confused and divided” over India’s participation in the Summit. While Union Shipping Minister Vasan is stressing that Centre should boycott the CHOGM, he said Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Sudarsana Natchiappan “is speaking in support of our participation“.

He also urged Finance Minister P Chidambaram to clarify his stand over the issue. “Chidambaram, a senior most Minister in the cabinet, is maintaining silence over the issue. Nobody knows what is his position” Raja said.

The CPI leader further stated that the Centre cannot ignore the unanimous resolution adopted by Tamil Nadu assembly seeking India’s complete boycott of the CHOGM and Congress (in Tamil Nadu) was a party to the resolution.

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