No military solution to Tamil issue in Sri Lanka: Mukherjee

India on Friday, insisted that there can be no military solution to the ethnic issue in Sri Lanka and voiced deep concern over the plight of Tamil civilians in the island nation.

"We are deeply concerned at the sad plight of the Tamil civilians who have been caught in the crossfire between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE...," external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters here.

He said "military solution was not the solution" to the issue and it has to be addressed politically.

Mukherjee recalled that he had visited Sri Lanka and held long discussions with the leaders and asserted the solution has to be found with devolution of power "without altering the territorial integrity and constitutional sovereignty of Sri Lanka".

"India will provide all facilities for the rehabilitation of internally displaced Tamil civilians," Mukherjee said.