Stalin meets PM; seeks Centre’s nod for providing humanitarian aid to Lankan Tamils

New Delhi: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought the Centre’s approval for the state government to provide humanitarian aid to Sri Lankan Tamils in the wake of an economic crisis in that country.

Stalin, also the DMK supremo, gave a detailed memorandum on various issues, including those related to the economic crisis in the island nation, during his meeting with Modi.

Referring to adversities being faced by Lankan Tamils, he said many of them embarked on a ”perilous journey” to Tamil Nadu due to unaffordable prices of essential commodities there and they are lodged in a transit camp in the state.

The memorandum noted that more people may be arriving in the state due to worsening economic condition in Sri Lanka.

In this juncture, it added, the Tamil Nadu government is willing to provide essential commodities and life saving medicines to Sri Lankan Tamils living in northern and eastern part of that country as well as those working in plantation sector, who are reeling under severe food crisis, as a life saving measure and help them, especially vulnerable group of women and children. ”It is requested to accord necessary permission to undertake the benevolent activity,” it said.

Earlier in the morning, he also met Congress president Sonia Gandhi, whose party is a partner in the DMK-led government in the state, in Parliament.

Welcoming Stalin to Delhi, Gandhi went to meet him in the DMK office in Parliament and said she came to say ‘Vanakkam’ to him and will meet him again during his party office inauguration in the national capital on April 2.

Stalin greeted her with a shawl.

Stalin is on a three-day visit to the national capital and is scheduled to meet several top leaders.

DMK is inaugurating its party office in the national capital on April 2 and has invited leaders from various parties including the BJP and the Congress, the party MP Kanimozhi said.