The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam revealed on Monday that it was on the verge of pulling its Ministers out of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government, but dropped the idea after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh assured Parliament that India would vote in favour of a resolution on Sri Lanka at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
DMK president M. Karunanidhi read out to reporters extracts from a resolution prepared for consideration at a meeting of its high-level executive committee scheduled for Tuesday to discuss the U.S.-sponsored resolution. However, there was no need now to release it, he said.
Besides withdrawing its proposal to come out of the Union Cabinet and instead offer the government issue-based support, the DMK called off Tuesday's meeting and a State-wide fast it planned for Thursday to demand that the Centre to back the resolution at the UNHRC.
Earlier in the day, Dr. Singh told Parliament that India was inclined to vote for a resolution, if it covered India's objectives: “The achievement of a future for the Tamil community in Sri Lanka that is based on equality, dignity, justice and self-respect.”
“The high-level committee reiterates that the Indian government support the resolution, taking into consideration not just the DMK's request but also the aspirations of the entire Tamil community. If the Indian government says it cannot support the resolution, the DMK has to consider whether it should be part of the government when it is not even possible to support a resolution against the Sri Lankan Army that was responsible for the killing of over 40,000 Tamils. The meeting decides that the DMK Ministers in the Union Cabinet will quit their posts, and the DMK will be forced to offer only issue-based support to the government,” Mr. Karunanidhi said, quoting from the resolution.
Expressing happiness at Dr. Singh's announcement, he said the Centre's latest stand was a victory for the struggle in support of Sri Lankan Tamils and those fighting for their cause.
