Karunanidhi warns of pulling out of government over Sri Lanka

Chennai : DMK chief M.Karunanidhi Friday warned his party will pull out of the UPA government if India does not press for an independent international probe against those responsible for the genocide in Sri Lanka in the US-sponsored resolution in the UNHRC against the island nation.

In a statement issued here late night, Karunanidhi, referring to the US sponsored resolution at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), said: “India should take steps to amend the American resolution to include that war criminals responsible for the genocide in Sri Lanka be identified, hold a free international enquiry against them and take time-bound appropriate action.”

“If this request is not heeded, it will be meaningless for the DMK to continue in the central government,” he added.

DMK, with 18 members in the Lok Sabha, is a key constituent in the central United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.

The party’s ultimatum comes at a time when students of several colleges in Tamil Nadu are on protest demanding action against Sri Lanka.

Earlier in the Lok Sabha, DMK’s T.R.Baalu said the student’s agitation is becoming intense everyday.

He said the Congress lost power in the state in 1965 owing to students’ agitation against imposition of Hindi and urged the government to campaign at UNHRC and see that people who had committed war crimes in Sri Lanka violating human rights are punished.