MP Sharma criticised over Tigers charge

Newly elected MP Verendra Sharma has been forced to defend himself after sharing a stage with the leader of banned terrorist group the Tamil Tigers.

The Ealing Southall MP has provoked outrage by speaking at the Tamil Remembrance Day event held at the Excel Centre in Docklands last on Tuesday last week to pay tribute to the thousands who have died in the ongoing conflict in Sri Lanka.

But on the same stage the annual Heroes Day address from Tamil Tiger leader Vellupillai Pirapaharan was broadcast to the crowd of thousands, angering critics who say politicians should not align themselves with a group banned as a terrorist organisation in Britain.

Mr Sharma, who was joined by MPs Keith Vaz and Joan Marie Ryan, denied knowing that the separatist military leader's analysis of events in war torn Sri Lanka would be shown at the event, but organisers have rubbished this claim.

Mr Sharma told the Gazette: "Along with my many colleagues from Parliament we went along to pay tribute to all these people who died, irrespective of their creed or colour.
"It's not a question of support for the Tamil Tigers. It was just a straight forward tribute meeting.

"That is my interest and that is what I said. I have a large number of Tamil people in my constituency and they expect their MP to be there."

But Vijay Jeyan, of the British Tamils Forum, which represents around 88 Tamil organisations in the UK, said not having Pirapaharan's speech broadcast would be like Remembrance Day without the Queen.

But he insisted the event was not linked to the Tigers, also known as the LTTE.

He said: "A lot of local Tamils went down on the streets and helped him in his election campaign. I think he felt obliged."

Southall resident and labour supporter Tony Whittle said Mr Sharma had been 'silly' to speak at the event.

But some Southall residents who were scared to be named for fear of reprisals went further and accused Mr Sharma of supporting the Tamil Tigers, which they say has a sinister presence in Southall Letters have been written to Labour chiefs including Prime Minister Gordon Brown, complaining.

Nesan Shankar Raji of the Campaign for Peace and Unity in Sri Lanka, slammed the event as propaganda and said: "If any banned Islamic group did this it would not be allowed and the police were just there watching."