Row Over States' Finances At Meet On Sri Lanka: Centre Says "Lessons Against Freebies"

After 4 states' ruling parties question the motive, Foreign Minister says no political intent, just "strong lessons" from Sri Lanka

At least four states' ruling parties -- all in the Opposition at the Centre -- today objected to states' finances being discussed at an all-party meeting on the crisis in Sri Lanka. The central government, which had convened the meeting, later said there was "no political intent" and "the lessons of Sri Lanka are very strong". 

Sources told NDTV that Mithun Reddy, an MP from Andhra Pradesh's ruling YSR Congress, was one of the first to object, and then other Opposition parties joined in, including the Telangana Rashtra Samiti, Tamil Nadu's DMK, and West Bengal's Trinamool Congress. The document was then withdrawn from discussion.

TRS sources said, "When the subject was the Sri Lanka crisis, there was no need for this."

But External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar later clarified: "There was a logic in what we were trying to show. We didn't [only] show one or two states. We showed the situation of all the states. There was no political intent; it was a data-based presentation on fiscal prudence."