Sri Lanka stops short of calling Karunanidhi a terrorist

Sri Lanka has slammed Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief M Karunanidhi's call for a Tamil Eelam, with Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa saying he can have it in India where a larger population of Tamils live.

"If former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's unfulfilled dream was a Tamil Eelam, he can have it in India where a larger population of Tamils live than in Sri Lanka," he said in a statement.

Karunanidhi on Thursday sought to make a case for the formation of a separate 'Tamil Eelam', saying he has an unfulfilled dream for Eelam and India should urge the United Nations to pressurise on Sri Lanka to hold a referendum regarding Tamil Eelam.

"The song of freedom is ringing in the ears of Tamils across the world. The blood and tears shed by Sri Lankan Tamils will not go in vain. If not tomorrow, it will come into existence one day," Karunanidhi had said in a statement.

Rajapaksa said: "Karunanidhi should realise that ours is an independent country and should not attempt to establish Eelam. We consider those who talk about Eelam as terrorists."