The issue pertaining to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalithaa Jayaram would not have any effect on Sri Lanka as she was just an opinion maker, United National Party Parliamentarian R. Yogarajan said today.

Mr. Yogarajan said Ms. Jayalalitha was just an opinion maker who was strong in Tamil Nadu and had few seats in the Indian Parliament.

He said whenever anyone talked of India’s involvement in the Sri Lankan national issue India was taken as a whole rather than the State of Tamil Nadu which was only constituent state in India.

In that context Mr. Yogarajan said the convicting of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister or her resignation and jailing would not have any effect on Sri Lanka.

As far as the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister was concerned it was a temporary setback, he said. However Mr. Yogarajan said the episode had shown that the Indian judicial system was independent.  

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister was found guilty in a disproportionate asset case and was sentenced to jail for four years on Saturday and lost her seat in the State Assemblyabd was removed from the post of Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. (Yohan Perera)