Tiger leader 'should face Indian trial'

Prabhakaran is wanted as a terrorist in India

NEW DELHI, India -- India's main opposition party, whose former chief Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a Sri Lankan Tamil Tiger suicide bomber, has called for the rebel leader to be brought to trial in India.

In a statement, senior Congress Party member Arjun Singh said Vilupillai Prabhakaran, the chief of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), is the "sole architect" of Gandhi's killing "and we can never forget this."

"We call upon the government of India to take all legal steps necessary to bring Mr. Prabhakaran to justice," he said.

Former prime minister Gandhi was killed in an explosion triggered by a female Tamil Tiger who greeted him while he was campaigning for elections in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu on May 21, 1991.

Gandhi's widow, Sonia, now heads the Congress Party. The government is run by a coalition dominated by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, which also has no sympathy for the Tigers.

Prabhakaran is officially regarded as a terrorist by India, the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia, and Sri Lanka

'India crucial'

AUDIO CNN's Kasra Naji reports from the jungles of northern Sri Lanka 4.8 MB / 2 mins 47 secs WAV sound   MORE STORIES Sri Lanka hails Tamil peace overture  New look for Tamil Tiger leader    IN-DEPTH Sri Lanka: A Nation Divided

Prabhakaran appeared in public Wednesday for the first time in 15 years at a press conference in northern Sri Lanka to talk about future peace talks with the Sri Lankan government.

In a dramatic jungle appearance, Prabhakaran said the LTTE wanted "to establish constructive and friendly relations with India," saying India was "crucial to the success of the peace process."

Prabhakaran, whose appearance came ahead of peace talks with Colombo next month aimed at ending almost two decades of fighting by the rebels for a separate state, said Gandhi's death was tragic but ducked questions about whether the assassin was under his orders.

India's foreign ministry had no immediate comment on the rebel leader's comments.

But, Singh, the Congress leader, said Prabhakaran's statement has shocked all Indians.

"We cannot tolerate anybody making light of this unfortunate event," he said.

Gandhi decision

The Tiger rebels were angered by Gandhi's decision as prime minister to send Indian troops to keep peace in northern Sri Lanka in 1987 as part of an accord with the Sri Lankan government.

India, which has a 62-million strong Tamil community of its own in southern Tamil Nadu state, was a key player in seeking to resolve the rebellion until a decade ago, sending thousands of peacekeepers to its southern neighbor.

But having badly burnt its fingers then, New Delhi has maintained its distance despite attempts by Colombo to seek its involvement.

Between 1987 and 1990, India lost 1,150 peacekeeping troops, part of a force deployed to disarm the guerrillas.