New Delhi: Embarrassed over AIADMK members
shouting slogans against a visiting Parliamentary delegation
from Sri Lanka, Speaker Meira Kumar on Monday expressed anguish
against the incident and offered "sincere apologies" to it.
"She expressed anguish and offered sincere apologies
over slogan shouting by some Members of Parliament in the
House when the visiting delegation were witnessing the
proceedings of the Lok Sabha," a Lok Sabha Secretariat release
said.
She made the remarks when the high-level delegation
led by Sri Lankan Parliament Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa called
on her here.
In Lok Sabha, AIADMK members led by M Thambidurai were
on their feet raising slogans on the plight of Lankan Tamils
as Kumar introduced the visitors.
CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta asked Thambidurai and his
party colleague P Lingam to take their seats.
During the interaction, Kumar said the visit of the
Sri Lankan Parliamentary delegation would create new avenues
of cooperation between the two countries.
Observing that parliamentary exchanges play an
important role in strengthening bilateral relationship, she
emphasised on greater engagement between the two Parliaments.
She hoped that there would be comprehensive engagement
between India and Sri Lanka to ameliorate the social and
economic profile of the people and to find a dignified
solution to the problems of the internally displaced persons
of Sri Lanka.
Rajapaksa, responding to the sentiments expressed by
the Lok Sabha Speaker, felt that India and Sri Lanka share
many cultural and social commonalities and that both the
countries should make sincere efforts in facilitating enhanced
cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
PTI
