Annamalai To Join L Murugan In Visit To Sri Lanka To Inaugurate Jaffna Cultural Centre

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tamil Nadu state president K Annamalai has said that he would be joining Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting (I&B) L Murugan, on his visit to Sri Lanka.

While Murugan would be visiting as a guest of the Sri Lankan government, Annamalai has been invited by political parties in the country. He had previously visited the country on a similar invitation in May 2022.

Murugan would be inaugurating the Jaffna Cultural Centre, which has been built with a grant from the government of India.

A press release from the I&B Ministry said, "Jaffna Cultural Centre is a magnificent example of India-Sri Lanka development partnership. It was conceived as a reconciliation project primarily aimed at expanding cultural infrastructure for people of Northern Province. 

"This state-of-the-art facility consists of multiple facilities such as a museum of two floors, an advanced theater style auditorium for more than 600 people, a 11-storeyed learning tower; a public square which could also act as an amphitheatre etc."

Responding to questions from reporters about the issues faced by Tamils in Sri Lanka, Annamalai said that the Modi government has taken many steps to improve their conditions unlike the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) which believes only in 'saying' and not 'doing.'

Listing out some of the works undertaken by the Modi government, he said that 60000 houses are being built for Tamils, a flight has been launched from Chennai to Jaffna's Palaly airport that was redeveloped with Indian help and recently a train service was launched between Colombo and Kankesanthurai in the northern province.

He said that it is necessary to implement the 13th Amendment in full, including the transfer of land and police powers.

Recently, Annamalai, along with Murugan and former state BJP presidents CP Radhakrishnan and Pon Radhakrishnan, had submitted a memorandum to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, urging the government of India to intervene in the matter.

Watch: Why Did TN BJP Chief K. Annamalai Visit Sri Lanka Amid An Economic Crisis? The Man Himself Reveals