India losing ’clout’ with Lanka: BJP

Observing that India’s “clout” with Sri Lanka has dissipated during UPA tenure, BJP on Friday said we are mute “spectators” as innocent Tamil civilians are being “butchered” in the island nation.

Observing that India’s “clout” with Sri Lanka has dissipated during UPA tenure, BJP on Friday said we are mute “spectators” as innocent Tamil civilians are being “butchered” in the island nation.

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“Our clout with the Lankan Government has been dissipated by the UPA government. There was a time when that government listened to us before taking any decision,” senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha told reporters in Mumbai.

“Innocent Tamil civilians are being butchered both by the LTTE and the government there,” Sinha said.

“A genocide is taking place and we are helpless spectators,” he said referring to today’s visit to Sri Lanka by National Security Adviser M K Narayanan and Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon, who held talks with Lankan President M Rajapaksa.

“The Lankan Government doesn’t listen to us. India is asked to get out,” Sinha claimed.

“The ongoing military action won’t help resolve the crisis. The only way forward is through negotiations,” he said.