TULF leader Anandasangaree yesterday called on TNA MPs "to keep out of Tamil Nadu politics at least till the parliamentary elections are over" saying they should reconsider their decision to turn down an invitation from the Indian Foreign Secretary for a meeting with him in New Delhi.

"Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon would not have extended this invitation without reasonable cause," Anandasangaree said in a press statement where he said the rejection of the invitation was "foolish" and "detrimental to the (Tamil) cause."

Despite the TNA MPs having no moral right to represent the Tamils of the North and the East, the Government of India had extended this invitation recognizing them as representatives of the Tamils, he said.

India had done so well knowing that the TNA MPs are only trying to redeem the LTTE and have little interest in saving the lives of the several thousands trapped in the Vanni.

"They (the MPs) are duty bound to accept the invitation and place before the Government of India represented by the Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon their grievances and save our people about whom they have not taken any interest up to now," Anandasangaree said.

He noted that the TNA was the only organization that had neither demanded nor pleaded with the LTTE to allow the trapped people to go wherever they wanted to.

"With the casualty rate among the trapped IDPs has disturbingly increased several fold during the past few weeks, the TNA cannot adopt a ‘dog in the manger’ attitude,’’ the TULF leader said.

"They must either (speak up for these people) or quit parliament and declare their inability to function as the people’s representatives."

Anandasangaree pointed out that only 10 TNA MPs were present when the decision not to accept the Indian invitation was taken. The other 12 are scattered all over the world.

"As long as they claim to represent the Tamil people, they must be prepared to fall at anybody’s feet and seek assistance for the liberation of the people without confronting anybody," he said.

He hoped that the TNA MPs will not make the same mistake they made two months ago when they rejected President Rajapaksa’s invitation for a meeting. Had they accepted, many things would have been sorted out, he said.