India's Congress party endorses Govt stand on LTTE's apology
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
New Delhi, June 29, IRNA
India-Congress-LTTE
The Congress party has endorsed the government rejection of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)'s statement apologizing for the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and asking India to put behind the "monumental historical tragedy".
"The government has already made a statement on the issue. I have nothing to add to that... Party endorses the government views," Congress spokesman Rajiv Shukla told reporters here.
"You are free to draw your own conclusions," he said in reply to a volley of questions on the issue.
Congress sources said the party does not want to say anything as the issue was a "too sensitive".
Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma had rejected the Tamil rebel group's plea, saying forgiving the LTTE for the "dastardly crime" would "tantamount to endorsing the philosophy of terror, violence and political assassinations."
Sharma said the remarks by Balasingham are a "confession" by the rebel group for its "complicity" in Gandhi's assassination which was a "well-known fact" over the last 15 years and LTTE cadres had been convicted in the case.
The LTTE had urged India to "put behind" Rajiv Gandhi's assassination by being "magnanimous".
On LTTE's plea that India put the past behind, the minister said, "People of India cannot forget the dastardly crime which was committed by the LTTE or at their behest".
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