Coimbatore, Apr 24: To express solidarity towards the cause of Sri Lankan Tamils, a 43-year-old man, identified as Subramani alias Banrottimani, set himself on fire in Tirupur, Tamil Nadu.

Subramani was talking while he was carried to the hospital. However, on reaching the hospital he was declared dead.

Apart from this incident, Tamil lawyers backing the LTTE's cause held a demonstration in Coimbatore to vent their anger at the Sri Lankan offensive against the rebels.

"Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa is now engaged in killing Tamil population as Sri Lanka is only a Singhalese country. India is supporting and Sri Lanka is trying to accommodate Singhalese population in the Tamil living areas," Sivasami Tamilan, a protesting lawyer.

"All financial help to Sri Lanka by the Indian Government is used to construct new houses for the Singhalese people. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi is playing drama in Tamil Nadu in the name of Tamil people," added Sivasami.

India is torn between protecting Sri Lankan Tamilians and supporting the Lankan government that sees LTTE as a terror organization.

M S Bitta, chairman of the All India Anti-Terrorist Front said , "The Sri Lanka Government has with power shown how to fight terrorism and bullet for bullet. We have to face the challenge. I have come to thank the Sri Lanka Government and have also got an award for the Sri Lankan President. I will also go to Sri Lanka and thank the Sri Lankan President in person," before his visit to the Sri Lankan High Commission to laud the Rajpaksa Government for taking on the rebels

ANI