India will press Rajapaksa to honour promises: Chidambaram

Chennai, Jun 13 (PTI) India is hopeful Sri Lankan
President Mahinda Rajapaksa would fulfil his promise to
rehabilitate displaced Tamils and grant equal rights to the
minority community, India's Home Minister P Chidambaram said
Saturday, asserting that New Delhi would continue to put
pressure on Colombo in this regard.

"Till now we believe that he (Rajapaksa) will fulfill
his promises. We will have to wait and see," he told reporters
here in the state capital when asked about concerns over the
plight of Sri Lankan Tamils being expressed by some parties in
southern state of Tamil Nadu.

"We will continue to pressure Rajapakasa to honour his
promises. Our aim is to ensure that the Sri Lankan Tamils get
equal rights," he added.

Chidambaram, who was felicitated at the Tamil Nadu
Congress Committee (TNCC) headquarters here on his success in
the Lok Sabha elections, said the UPA government's main aim
was to see that Sri Lankan Tamils were rehabilitated and make
sure that they get equal rights in all aspects.

On the country's internal security, he said it was
facing many challenges. "The first one is terrorism, the
second is extremism and third challenge is separatism in North
East," he said.

Chidambaram said the Centre would adopt a "zero
tolerance" policy towards terrorism. "Government will put an
end to this menace with full force," he added. PTI SNR
PMR