The Congress and the CPI(M) on Tuesday abstained from the voting on the government resolution in the State Assembly against India’s participation in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Sri Lanka.
Members of these two parties left the House after their leaders expressed their stand on the issue. Puthiya Tamizhagam leader K. Krishnasamy who tried to stage a sit-in protest in the House was evicted before voting.
While the Congress member N.R. Rangarajan justified India’s decision to send External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid and said that this was in the interests of the Sri Lankan Tamils, CPI (M) floor leader A. Soundararajan said similar resolution adopted in the Assembly on October 24 was sufficient.
Mr. Rangarajan argued that India’s efforts alone ensured elections to the Northern Province and the election of C.V. Wigneswaran as Chief Minister.
Earlier, the Congress members staged a walkout protesting against All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi leader R. Sarathkumar’s remarks that Manmohan Singh was a “mute Prime Minister.”
The Congress members urged Speaker P. Dhanapal to expunge Mr. Sarathkumar’s remarks, but he said they could register their view during their turn to address the House.
Dr. Krishnasamy had a noisy argument with the Treasury Benches after he averred that Prime Minister avoided the CHOGM probably because of the earlier resolution asking India to totally boycott the meet.
Electricity Minister R. Viswanthan said Dr. Krishansamy’s argument could not be accepted as five times in the past the Prime Minister had stayed away from the Commonwealth meetings.
DMK leader M.K. Stalin welcomed and supported the resolution. Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam whip V.C. Chandrakumar said Tamil Nadu should mobilise support to expel Sri Lankan from the Commonwealth.
CPI floor leader M. Arumugam said the resolution should have incorporated stronger words to condemn the Union government.
Manithaneya Makkal Katchi leader M.H. Jawahirullah alleged that the Central government had always used a different yardstick when it came to problems of Tamils.
PMKboycotted the special sitting. The party has three MLAs and its leader in the House Kaduvetti J. Guru has been detained under the National Security Act (NSA). “He has been detained three times under the NSA and once it was modified to keep him in prison. Our party decided to boycott the session to express our protest against his arrest,” PMK sources said.
The party stayed away from the Assembly during the budget session after attending the House for some days.
