Sept 19, Colombo: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa will leave for India today on a three-day official visit, the President's office said.

The President will hold bilateral talks with his Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee and the Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh tomorrow (20). The talks will be aimed at strengthening the Indo-Sri Lanka relationship and all issues of bilateral interest will be discussed, the External Affairs Ministry said.

The leaders are expected to discuss the recent anti-Sri Lankan events took place in Tamil Nadu and the effect of the hostile sentiments on the trade and political relationship between the two countries. Identifying the parties attempting to damage the relationship between the two countries and countermeasures to such attempts will also be discussed, sources said.

The Indian Prime Minister will host the visiting Sri Lankan President for a dinner, according to an Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesman. During his visit, on Friday, the President will lay the foundation stone for the Sanchi International Buddhist University in Madhya Pradesh.

Pro-LTTE Tamil Party MDMK leader Vaiko and his supporters have left Tamil Nadu in a convoy of buses to stage a black-flag demonstration in Sanchi against Sri Lankan President's visit.

The Tamil parties in Tamil Nadu oppose Sri Lankan President’s visit as they hold him responsible for the death of thousands of Tamils in Sri Lanka towards the final stages of the civil war. The central Indian government has assured that special security arrangements are already in place in Sanchi and New Delhi and no one will be permitted to take any action against the President Rajapaksa's visit.