Nagpur:
Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) General Secretary Vaiko on Wednesday criticised the Centre as well as BJP-led Madhya Pradesh government for inviting Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to a function in Sanchi near Bhopal.
"Despite knowing that Rajapaksa is solely responsible for the genocide of innocent Tamils in Sri Lanka, the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in Madhya Pradesh has invited him, and the Centre endorsed his visit," Vaiko, who arrived Nagpur from Chennai with over 1,000 MDMK supporters, told reporters before heading to Sanchi.
Mr Rajapaksa is scheduled to participate in the foundation-laying ceremony of International Buddhist University at Sanchi on Friday.
"I had strongly objected to Rajapaksa's visit but Chouhan did not bother about our requests and went ahead to invite him. Similarly, Opposition Leader in Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj, also met Rajapaksa recently, which we did not like," Vaiko said.
Vaiko and MDMK workers, who arrived Nagpur on Wednesday morning in several buses, are planning to stage a protest in Sanchi against Mr Rajapaksa over alleged atrocities on Tamils in Sri Lanka.
The MDMK leader said he had also sought BJP leader L K Advani and party national president Nitin Gadkari's intervention in the matter "as the Rajapaksa government had demolished over 2,000 Hindu temples in their country but they, too, ignored our request."
"Rajapakasa is responsible for the brutal massacre of innocent Tamil children, who were killed with their hands tied and semi-naked," Vaiko said.
When the video footage (of the killings) was shown by a London-based TV channel, members of the British Parliament hung their heads in shame, he said, adding that whoever believed in human rights must condemn this massacre.
In Madhya Pradesh, in view of the planned protests, Pandhurna has been converted into a police camp with heavy police deployment in the town to arrest MDMK workers, officials said.
When asked about his possible detention, Vaiko said he and his party workers are ready to face any action.