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Rajapaksa accuses TNA of blocking development in Tamil regions

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Press Trust of India Colombo
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa today blamed the main Tamil party TNA of blocking his government's development drive in the war-ravaged northern region.

"They don't allow us to work or carry put their own responsibilities", Sri Lankan President said in a reference to the Tamil National Alliance-led Northern Provincial Council.

He said he had provided them the required allocations of money having held the elections.

"I held the election (north) even when I knew the TNA would win with two thirds majority. Why? Because the government did not fight the Tamils. We were only fighting terrorists to force them lay down arms".
 

Rajapaksa's visit to the Kilinochchi district, the former administrative seat of the LTTE, was boycotted by the TNA.

The northern chief minister CV Wigneswaran in a letter to Rajapaksa had raised questions over the good intentions of the President in visiting the north.

The TNA charged that their administration was not consulted by the government in selecting recipients for land permits which Rajapaksa handed out in Kilinochchi.

"Clearly, the northern provincial council is not viewed as a partner in addressing the concerns of the war ravaged north," Wigneswaran said in his letter.

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First Published: Oct 12 2014 | 9:25 PM IST

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