All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary and Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Tuesday accused her rival and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M. Karunanidhi of seeking to deceive the people of the State and covering up “his role that caused untold misery to Sri Lankan Tamils.”
Reacting to Mr. Karunanidhi’s announcement of withdrawal of support to the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government, Ms. Jayalalithaa listed instances of, what she called, betrayal of the Sri Lankan Tamils by Mr. Karunanidhi. She said his decision came after he frittered away opportunities to express himself strongly against the Union government.
In 2009 when the Eelam war was at its peak, instead of pulling out his nominees from the Union Cabinet or withdrawing support to the Central government, he enacted a drama of a “three-hour fast.” Had he withdrawn support to the government then, Sri Lankan Tamils would have been saved. “This is a very big betrayal of the Tamils,” she said.
Mr. Karunanidhi also did not press the Centre for the implementation of a resolution adopted by the State Assembly in 2011 which demanded the imposition of an economic embargo on Sri Lanka or that those engaged in war crimes be brought to justice through a resolution in United Nations.
Last year, when the Union government watered down a “fairly strong” US-sponsored resolution at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), he should have condemned it.
He remained silent even when it became obvious, through Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s letter, that it was at the instance of the Union government that the resolution was weakened, the Chief Minister said.
Referring to Mr Karunanidhi’s statement that he was willing to reconsider his latest position of withdrawal of support if a resolution was adopted in Parliament, Ms Jayalalithaa that any such resolution, at this juncture, would not serve the purpose.
Only if the UNHRC adopted a strong resolution, could tough action be taken against the Sri Lankan government. Amendments have to be brought in immediately, to the text of the resolution to be adopted at the UNHRC.
Instead of getting it done and letting the Union government delay its action, Mr. Karunanidhi’s move amounted to stabbing in the back of the Sri Lankan Tamils.
“People are tired of the innumerable dramas of Mr. Karunanidhi. His plan of wiping out the indelible stain on him will not work through the latest drama, as there is no support of people and students towards the TESO. It is definite that people of the State will teach a fitting lesson to Mr. Karunanidhi for his acts of duplicity,” she said.
