SALEM: An autorickshaw driver who attempted self-immolation in protest against Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa 's visit to India, died of burn injuries at Salem government hospital on Tuesday.

T Vijay Raj , 26, doused himself with petrol and set himself afire near the old bus stand early Monday morning. In a suicide note, he accused Rajapaksa of being responsible for the death of innocent Tamils in Sri Lanka and the Indian government of aiding him.

Raj's relatives and members of political parties, including MDMK and VCK, refused to allow the hospital to conduct a postmortem on his body. They staged a sit-in protest at the hospital, demanding an FIR against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi . Police personnel attempted to pacify the protesters but the demonstration continued till late evening.

Seeman, founder of pro-Tamil outfit Nam Thamilar Katchi, visited the hospital and offered his condolences to Raj's family. He said the central government should reconsider the visit of the Sri Lankan president. Talking to reporters, Seeman said the Congress-led central government and the opposition BJP do not empathize with the sentiments of the Tamil people. "Both the BJP and the Congress are rolling out a red carpet to Rajapaksa," he said.