Sri Lanka-Tamil Nadu dialogue crucial for peace process - BJP

India’s Bharatiya Janata Party president Rajnath Singh on Friday said a BJP-led government at the Centre would address the Sri Lankan Tamil issue as well as solve the problems of Indian fishermen through the establishing of a national fishermen commission.

“The UPA government lacks diplomatic skills in handling sensitive issues like the Sri Lankan Tamil issue,” he said, speaking to reporters ahead of an election rally at Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu. 

He stated that the BJP believes that the provision of devolution of power and the political settlements are crucial for the bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and India.

 “The dialogue between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Nadu government is very crucial for the peace process. The BJP believes that the Sri Lankan government should create conducive atmosphere for resumption of dialogues and we will work after coming to power at the Centre,” said Rajnath.

When asked about the alleged attack on Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy, he said: “We are also concerned about the fishermen in Tamil Nadu. The security and the safety of the fishermen is also a major issue of concern for the BJP-led NDA.” 

He stated that the party will definitely discover new methods to minimize the risks to Indian fishermen community. “We have already decided that if the BJP-led NDA will come to power, we will form a national fishermen commission to resolve the major issues of fishermen not only in Tamil Nadu but in other states also.”