Lankan President Rajapaksa will watch India vs Sri Lanka final at Mumbai

After Pakistani PM Yousaf Raza Gilani’s maiden trip to India to watch his country play against the host in Mohali, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa will visit Mumbai to watch the cricket World Cup final between his country and India on Saturday.

Unlike Gilani, Rajapaksa is a frequent visitor to India. Last October, he attended the CWG closing ceremony as the guest of honour. On Saturday, giving Rajapaksa company will be his Indian counterpart President Pratibha Patil, who reportedly watched the India-Pakistan semi-final with keen interest.

The Indian politicos there will include BJP leader L. K. Advani and BJP president Nitin Gadkari.

Rajapaksa’s spokesman said in Colombo: “ The President wants Sri Lanka to win the World Cup as a tribute to Muttiah Muralitharan, who retires from international cricket after this World Cup.” Rajapaksa will be accompanied to India by Sri Lankan sports minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage; and other parliamentarians may come too. The list is being finalised, sources said.

Discussions on bilateral issues are unlikely during Rajapaksa’s visit, which comes soon after an Indo-Lanka meeting (March 28- 29) in Delhi on fishermen’s issue.