Display of LTTE flag at May Day rally sparks outrage in Sri Lanka

Colombo, May 3 (ANI): Sri Lanka's main opposition group has come under fire from government supporters for allegedly displaying a flag associated with the banned Tamil Tiger militants at a May Day rally.

Government media and the opposition have clashed over the use of the banned flag of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ( LTTE), which was defeated by the government in 2009.

The flag was displayed at the rally held in Jaffna city by the opposition United National Party and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) on Tuesday, The BBC reports.

It is thought to be one of the first times the flag has been seen in public since the defeat of the rebels.

The government accused the opposition of giving comfort to separatism through the May Day rally.

The state television showed two rally participants carrying the banned flag-having a tiger and crossed bayonets on a red background.

The opposition party's general secretary, however, said those waving the Tamil Eelam flag had been planted there by the government television station which had thereby, he claimed, had given support to terrorism.

He also questioned that why only state TV appeared to have noticed the flag-bearers. (ANI)