Tamil Nationalist Movement leader Pazha Nedumaran has demanded the resignation of External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid for having rejected the Tamil Nadu Assembly’s demand to move a resolution in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) against Sri Lanka, including a referendum on the creation of a separate Tamil Eelam.
Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, Mr. Nedumaran condemned the Union minister for stating that a resolution could not be moved in the UNSC at the instance of just one State Assembly in the country. He said that the statement of the Minister exhibited lack of knowledge about historical facts relating to India’s intervention in issues related to foreign countries.
“Did former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi consult with all State Assemblies in the country before supporting Yasser Arafat in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and Sheik Mujibur Rahman in the Bangladesh liberation war? Why should the issue of support from other States be raked up when it comes to moving a resolution against Sri Lanka?” he wondered.
Hailing Chief Minister Jayalalithaa for having taken steps to pass a “historic” resolution in the Assembly with regard to a referendum on Eelam, he insisted that the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government should relinquish power at the Centre as it had been reduced to a minority after the exit of the Trinamool Congress and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) from the alliance.
He said that the Assembly resolution and DMK’s exit from the UPA were the result of non-political and peaceful protests organised by college students across the State. He took a dig at the DMK for having refrained from voting in favour of the resolution. “The DMK members had intentionally staged a walkout from the Assembly to avoid the resolution,” he alleged.
Mr. Nedumaran said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should heed a request made by Union Shipping Minister G.K. Vasan, also belonging to the Congress, and take steps to shift the venue of the 23rd Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), proposed to be held in Colombo between November 15 and 17, to some other country.
He charged Prasad Kariyawasam, Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India, with meeting north Indian political leaders to lobby support for his country.
