With Sri Lankan troops closing in on LTTE's last bastion Mullaitivu, Congress on Saturday asked the island nation to hand over Tamil Tiger chief Prabhakaran once he is caught so that he faces trial for the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
"We will be happy if Prabhakaran is caught and handed over to India for the heinous crime he has committed. He should be brought to book for the assassination of our beloved leader Rajiv Gandhi," party's chief spokesman M Veerappa Moily said.
Moily said the Sri Lankan government would do an excellent service to India if it hands over the LTTE chief after catching him. "We want his extradition...The request is pending," he told reporters in New Delhi.
The Congress leader, however, said the ethnic issue in Sri Lanka and the humanitarian concerns have to be looked into by the neighbouring country.
"LTTE is a terror outfit and a banned organisation...But the ethnic and humanitarian issues will have to be dealt with by the government and the Tamil population cannot be discriminated against...One cannot mix issue of terror with the humanitarian ones," Moily added.
On the statement of MDMK leader Vaiko who had said it was a temporary setback for the LTTE and they will bounce back, Moily said it was the opinion of an individual and not the Government of India.
{{/usCountry}}On the statement of MDMK leader Vaiko who had said it was a temporary setback for the LTTE and they will bounce back, Moily said it was the opinion of an individual and not the Government of India.
{{/usCountry}}"He (Vaiko) does not reflect the views of the Government of India. Only, the MEA would respond to the development. It is a diplomatic issue," the Congress leader said.