BeyondHeadlines  News Desk

New Delhi: In a major development today, Kumaran Pathmanathan, top leader of Sri Lankan dissent group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), has apologised to India for V Prabhakaran’s “mistake” of killing former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Kumaran Pathmanathan, also known as KP, in the foreground with (from left) Velupillai Prabakaran, Anton Balasingham and Col. Sankar behind him. (Courtesy: The Hindu)

Talking to CNN-IBN, he said that Rajiv’s assassination was “well planned and done actually with Prabhakaran and LTTE intelligence chief Pottu Amman. Everyone knows the truth.”
 
Pathmanathan, who was Treasurer of the LTTE and its chief arms procurer, said: “I want to say to the Indian people and especially to the Gandhi family…I want to apologise for Prabhakaran’s mistake. Please forgive us. We beg you….Sorry for all this. We know the feelings of the son (Rahul) of Rajiv Gandhi….How father and daughter are attached (reference to Rajiv’s daughter Priyanka).”

He said Tamils in Sri Lanka should be helped to live as humans as “we have already paid a high price. We don’t have anything to lose.”