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India warned Norway about Prabhakaran
By Sugeeswara Senadhira
OSLO - The Congress Party leaders had warned Norway even before the party came to power at the Centre that India would never give any legitimacy or recognition to LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran or his group because of their involvement in the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi.

New Delhi considered that the killing was a cowardly act of terrorism and the Indian leaders believe that the killing of a prime ministerial candidate during a general election was a direct interference in the Indian democratic process.

When the Norwegian peace facilitator Erik Solheim was asked if India had given the above warning, he did not deny it. Instead he said, "India told me many things. But I cannot reveal what India had told me in confidence. If the Indian side decided to do so, it is their decision, but I have to maintain the confidence of all the things India told me."

Mr. Solheim said this at an interview at his office in the ministry of foreign affairs. Initially the Norwegian peace facilitation did not have the blessings of India. He denied that India was upset that Norway had not kept it briefed. India was so angry that the Indian High Commission in Colombo went to the extent of publishing a notice in Sri Lankan newspapers that Prabhakaran was wanted in India in connection with the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi and after that only Norwegian facilitators changed their itinerary from Oslo-Colombo-Kilinochchi-Oslo to Oslo-Delhi-Colombo.

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