Stalin, EPS and other TN political leaders condole Sri Lankan MP Sampanthan's death

Stalin, EPS and other TN political leaders condole Sri Lankan MP Sampanthan's death

CHENNAI: Chief minister M K Stalin, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, state BJP president K Annamalai, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K Selvaperunthagai, PMK founder S Ramadoss, CPM state secretary K Balakrishnan and AMMK founder T T V Dhinakaran on Monday condoled the death of Sri Lankan parliamentarian R Sampanthan. Sampanthan died in Sri Lanka late on Sunday. Stalin posted on X, "Sampanthan was a great leader who commanded the respect of not only Tamils but all Sinhalese. He acted for the betterment of Tamils till the last breath. His contributions over half a century as a parliamentarian had a profound impact on politics. Sampanthan was morally committed to devolution of power to Tamils for a long time." Recalling the ties shared by Sampanthan with former chief minister M Karunanidhi, Stalin said, "Sampanthan's place in Sri Lankan politics could not be easily taken by anyone." In his condolence message on X, Palaniswami said, "Sampanthan was undeniably one of the pillars of the Eelam Tamil community in the political history of Sri Lanka. He laid the right foundation for the next generation of Sri Lankan Tamils to build a safe life and his death is seen as an irreparable loss in the history of Eelam Tamils." Annamalai posted on X, "We are deeply saddened by the news of the demise of Sampanthan, a veteran leader who championed the rights of the Tamil people in Sri Lanka. He was the leader of the Sri Lankan Tamil Arasu Katchi and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and had been a member of the Sri Lankan parliament for more than 50 years." In a statement, Selvaperunthagai said, "Sampanthan was a vocal advocate for the rights of minority Tamils in Sri Lanka. He was very close to the Indian government and political parties in India. He worked tirelessly to alleviate the sufferings of Sri Lankan Tamils. Sampanthan's loss is not only for Sri Lankan Tamils, but for Tamil Nadu too." Ramadoss posted on X, "For more than half a century, Sampanthan was an indispensable force in Sri Lankan politics and a parliamentarian who championed the rights of Eelam Tamils. He urged India to prevent the war between the LTTE and the Lankan army. His death is a great loss to the efforts to win rights and powers for the Tamils in Eelam." Balakrishnan said, "Sampanthan advocated and fought for equal rights for Tamils and Sinhalese in Sri Lanka, for the implementation of the 13th Amendment and for more power and equal rights for the Tamil provinces after the final phase of the Eezham war in 2009." Dhinakaran posted on X, "I convey my deepest condolences and sympathies to his kith and kin and Sri Lankan Tamils on the loss of veteran leader Sampanthan who had been raising his voice for the rights of Sri Lankan Tamils for more than half a century. "