Karunanidhi welcomes PM's remarks on Lanka issue

Welcoming Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's statements favouring a negotiated settlement to end the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi has said the remarks raised hopes of the Centre taking steps to halt Lankan troops' offensive against Tamils in LTTE-held areas.

The DMK chief, while writing in party organ "Murasoli", said he found solace in the remarks of the PM and hoped the Centre would consider the demands of an all-party meeting in Chennai on October 14.

Singh had said there could not be any military solution to the Sri Lankan issue and India had been pressing for a negotiated settlement to meet the aspirations of minority Tamils in that country, he said.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee had also spoken on the similar line, he said, adding these remarks had strengthened his hopes that the centre would act, taking into consideration, the resolution passed at the meeting, which said all MPs from the state would resign if the Centre did not take action within a fortnight.

In line with the resolution, 13 Lok Sabha members of the DMK and four Rajya Sabha members have already submitted their post-dated resignation letters to Karunanidhi.

Expressing anguish over the plight of Sri Lankan Tamils, he said: "The future of Tamil race has become a question mark. I am unable to sleep, whenever I think of it. Let us save the Tamil race and its honour. Let us avoid the racial genocide in Sri Lanka at whatever price."

Source: hindustantimes