Chief Minister of the Northern Provincial Council, C.V. Wigneswaran has informed External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris that he is unable to accept the Sri Lankan Government’s invitation to attend the swearing in ceremony Narendra Modi.

In a letter to Peiris, Wigneswaran said he was “grateful” for the invitation and that the decision was taken after considering the request in the company of his Board of Ministers. 

“It is an auspicious sign that the historic election of Shri Narendra Modi has revived in the Government of Sri Lanka a sense of co-operation and partnership towards the Northern Province,” he said.

He stated that given the untold hardships of the people in the North and the strictures of the functioning of the NPC, “this is indeed welcome.”

Wigneswaran says he is unable to accept the invitation “primarily because acceptance would indicate that there exists a strong co-operative spirit prevailing between the Center and the Province.”

The Chief Minister further said that he would be guilty of “facilitating tokenism” were he to accept such an invitation.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa had invited the Northern Province Chief Minister to join in the delegation to India to participate in the swearing in ceremony of the Indian Prime Minister-elect.

Speaking to Ada Derana earlier today, Wigneswaran said that he received President Rajapaksa’s invitation through External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris and that he will take a decision on accepting the invitation after consulting the Ministers and Members of the Northern Provincial Council.

The ceremony will take place Monday (May 26) evening in New Delhi. President Rajapaksa had received an invitation earlier this week to participate in this event while his attendance was formally confirmed yesterday (May 22) through diplomatic channels.