The Hindu : Front Page : We’ll be satisfied only with ceasefire, says Karunanidhi

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Monday, Nov 17, 2008
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We’ll be satisfied only with ceasefire, says Karunanidhi

Special Correspondent

“Resolution did not describe Rajapaksa as untrustworthy”

M. Karunanidhi

COIMBATORE: Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi said here on Sunday that his party, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), would be satisfied only with a ceasefire in Sri Lanka, where a military offensive was on against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

Mr. Karunanidhi was responding to a question from presspersons whether he was satisfied with the efforts made by the Central government to ensure protection of innocent Tamils in Sri Lanka. He was here to attend a debate and address a public meeting organised as part of the Anna Centenary celebrations of Coimbatore, Erode, the Nilgiris and Tirupur districts.

“A ceasefire has been a major demand in the resolutions that we have passed at various fora including the Assembly. We will not be satisfied till a ceasefire is in place,” he said.

On Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s assertion that there would not be a ceasefire till terrorism was wiped out, Mr. Karunanidhi said: “He [Mr. Rajapaksa] says that the action is only against terrorists and not Tamils. But, we say that Tamils are severely affected by what is claimed to be an act of putting down terrorism.”

Mr. Karunanidhi clarified that the recent resolution in the Assembly had not described Mr. Rajapaksa as untrustworthy. “We only felt that going by his actions, we could not believe his words.” On the Pattali Makkal Katchi’s (PMK) demand that the Sri Lankan issue be taken to the United Nations Security Council, the Chief Minister said that he came to know of it from media reports on Sunday. He said that after returning to Chennai, he would ascertain whether there were similar opinions from other parties.

On the efforts being made to persuade the Centre to work for the protection of Tamils in the island nation, he said he had already spoken to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi. Exchange of views was also being done almost every day through Union Ministers T.R. Baalu and A. Raja.

Asked if more talks would be held with Ms. Gandhi and Mr. Singh, the Chief Minister said: “As a [State] government, we will talk to the Prime Minister. As a party, we will talk to Congress president Sonia Gandhi.”

Elections

On the DMK’s preparedness for the next Lok Sabha elections, he said: “We are ready for everything.” On whether the PMK would re-establish ties with the DMK, he said: “Anything can happen.”

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