Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:-

(a) whether the Government has received requests from various quarters to boycott the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) to be held in Colombo, Sri Lanka in November this year;

(b) if so, the details thereof; and

(c) the decision taken by the Government in this regard?

ANSWERTHE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (SHRIMATI PRENEET KAUR)

(a) to (c) The Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has received letters from the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and the Chief Minister of Puducherry urging him not to attend the CHOGM 2013 in Colombo. They have also suggested that India should stay away from the CHOGM in Colombo and ask for shifting of its venue to another country.

The decision for holding the CHOGM 2013 in Sri Lanka was taken collectively by the Heads of Government of all Commonwealth countries, including India, at the CHOGM 2009 in Trinidad and Tobago which was reiterated by them at the CHOGM 2011 held in Perth, Australia. The Government of India has not taken any decision to boycott the CHOGM 2013.

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