Democratic solution to Lankan Issue - Rahul !!!

AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi today asserted that any solution to the Sri Lankan Tamils issue has to come through democratic means, and emphasised that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Congress-led UPA Government would stand by the Tamils.

''It is very important that the interests of the Tamils in Sri Lanka are protected,'' he said, calling for a democratic solution to the decades-long ethnic crisis.

With leaders of parties in Tamil Nadu, including Chief Minister and DMK President M Karunanidhi jumping into the bandwagon of 'Tamil Eelam', Mr Gandhi neither used the word Eelam nor the LTTE, while dealing with the Tamils issue.

He said the UPA Government was doing its best to protect the interests of Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka and had sent the External Affairs Minister and diplomats to put tremendous pressure on the Lankan Government to protect the suffering Tamils.

''The Tamil civilians need to be given their rights by the Sri Lankan Government,'' Mr Gandhi said, adding ''the Prime Minister and UPA Government stand by the Tamil people, regardless of where they are.'' This was Mr Gandhi's maiden visit to the State to address poll rallies for the May 13 Lok Sabha elections. He addressed meetings in support of Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, who is seeking re-election in Sivaganga, and Ms Sarubala Thondaiman in Tiruchirapalli.