Speaker of the Lok Sabha apologies from Sri Lanka Parliamentary delegation

Embarrassed over AIADMK members shouting slogans against a visiting Parliamentary delegation from Sri Lanka, Speaker of the Lok Sabha Meira Kumar on Monday expressed anguish against the incident and offered "sincere apologies" to it.
"She expressed anguish and offered sincere apologies over slogan shouting by some Members of Parliament in the House when the visiting delegation were witnessing the proceedings of the Lok Sabha," a Lok Sabha Secretariat release said. She made the remarks when the high-level delegation led by Sri Lankan Parliament Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa called on her here. In Lok Sabha, AIADMK members led by M Thambidurai were on their feet raising slogans on the plight of Lankan Tamils as Kumar introduced the visitors. CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta asked Thambidurai and his party colleague P Lingam to take their seats. During the interaction, Kumar said the visit of the Sri Lankan Parliamentary delegation would create new avenues of cooperation between the two countries. Observing that parliamentary exchanges play an important role in strengthening bilateral relationship, she emphasised on greater engagement between the two Parliaments. She hoped that there would be comprehensive engagement between India and Sri Lanka to ameliorate the social and economic profile of the people and to find a dignified solution to the problems of the internally displaced persons of Sri Lanka. Rajapaksa, responding to the sentiments expressed by the Lok Sabha Speaker, felt that India and Sri Lanka share many cultural and social commonalities and that both the countries should make sincere efforts in facilitating enhanced cooperation in areas of mutual interest.