A five-member delegation of Sri Lanka’s ruling Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), led by its General Secretary Tilvin Silva, on Monday met BJP National General Secretary (Organisation) B L Santhosh and other senior BJP leaders at the party headquarters in Delhi.
According to an official BJP press release, the JVP delegation is currently visiting India from September 27 to October 1 at the invitation of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The five-member delegation comprises Tilvin Silva, General Secretary; Chandrika Adikari, Central Committee Member; Aboobucker Athambawa, Member of Parliament; Kabilan Suntharamoorthy, District Committee Member; and Kalpana Madhubhashini, Member of the International Department.
During its visit, in addition to meeting BJP National General Secretary (Organisation) B L Santhosh, the delegation is scheduled to meet BJP National President Nitin Nabin and other senior BJP leaders. The programme also includes interactions with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, according to the BJP press release.
The delegation is also scheduled to interact with various BJP Morchas and Departments at the BJP Headquarters and visit the Parliament of India and Delhi BJP State Office.
The BJP said the visit aims to “strengthen BJP–JVP engagement”, facilitate the exchange of organisational experiences and “further deepen ties between the two political parties”.
The JVP is a Marxist-Leftist political party in Sri Lanka led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
The BJP press release was issued by Vijay Chauthaiwale, in-charge of the party’s Foreign Affairs Department.
The visit comes as earlier, from September 8 to 10, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh paid a visit to Colombo.
On September 9, the minister, during his visit to Colombo, reaffirmed India’s commitment to stand “shoulder-to-shoulder” with Sri Lanka in difficult times, describing the bilateral relationship as one of “hearts and souls” and highlighting New Delhi’s role as the island nation’s first responder.
Addressing Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake during his visit to Sri Lanka, Singh said India and Sri Lanka are “civilisational twins”, sharing centuries of history, culture and heritage, and described Sri Lanka as one of India’s “closest friends and valuable partners”.
“India has always been the first responder during difficult times, and I assure you that we will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our Sri Lankan friends. We strongly believe that real friends stand by each other through thick and thin. Our relationship is of hearts and souls,” Singh said.
The Defence Minister recalled India’s swift response following Cyclone Ditwah last year, when New Delhi launched ‘Operation Sagar Bandhu’ to support Sri Lanka.
He said concerted efforts by the Indian Armed Forces and Sri Lankan government agencies helped save lives, restore connectivity and deliver relief and medical assistance.
Singh said Sri Lanka remains central to India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and its vision of ‘MAHASAGAR’, Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions.