New Delhi, Aug 1 (IANS) AIADMK members in the Lok Sabha Monday shouted slogans to protest the presence of a Sri Lankan delegates, led by Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa, who were in the house as special foreign guests.


AIADMK members, led by S. Semmalai and Munisamy Thambidurai, shouted "shame, shame" as soon as Speaker Meira Kumar began reading out her welcome message to Rajapaksa and his other colleagues, including Sri Lankan ministers, sitting in the special box to the left of her.

Almost all nine members of Tamil Nadu's ruling party were heard shouting slogans against the Sri Lankan government as MPs from other parties thumped their desks to welcome the nine-member visiting delegation.

P. Lingam, the Communist Party of India (CPI) MP from Tenkasi in Tamil Nadu, also attempted to join the protests over alleged human rights abuses against Sri Lankan Tamils in the island nation. He was seen walking down the aisle towards the speaker's podium but was stopped by his party leader Gurudas Dasgupta, who asked him to go back to his seat.

A visibly irate Meira Kumar rebuked the Tamil MPs and asked them to show some courtesy to the honoured guests.

The Sri Lankan delegation is on a five-day official visit to India on an invitation by the speaker.