Chennai, March 19: Giving a jolt to the Congress, the DMK pulled out of the UPA government at Centre on Tuesday March 19.
Addressing media persons at a press conference here on Tuesday, DMK chief Karunanidhi said that the Centre had failed to accept their demands on the issue of resolution against Sri Lanka. ‘In spite of repeated requests from us, the Centre failed to meet our demands,’ he said. DMK ministers will quit the government either today or tomorrow, he added. There are five DMK ministers in the Union Cabinet.
On giving outside support to the UPA he said, ‘Don’t see any point in giving outside support to the UPA government.’
‘We are in complete support of the Tamils cause in Sri Lanka,’ DMK supremo added.
However giving a window to the Congress, Karunanidhi said that if the UPA government accepts their demands by Friday and reworks the resolution against Sri Lanka then he may rethink on withdrawing support.
Karunanidhi has also not given letter for withdrawing support to the President. So technically he is still with the UPA government.
There are 18 DMK MPs in Parliament. Half way mark is 270. If DMK pulls out then the Congress will be left with the support of just 232 MPs in Parliament. In that case they will be completely dependent on the outside support of the Samajwadi Party, the BSP, RJD and JD(S).
The union ministers P Chidambaram, A K Antony and Ghulam Nabi Azad had failed to persuade Karunanidhi till Monday March 18, in order to change his stand on withdrawing support to the ruling UPA if it failed to move amendments to the US-sponsored resolution on the Sri Lankan Tamil issue at the UNHRC.
The DMK also wants the Parliament to adopt a resolution against Sri Lanka.
The three union ministers had met the DMK chief in Chennai and discussed the contents of his letter written to the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.
Meanwhile, even as Karunanidhi withdrew support, the DMK cadre started celebrating outside his house.
Reacting on the latest trouble faced by the Congress, Sonia Gandhi said that she had nothing to say as of now.
On the matter of war crimes in Sri Lanka, she said, ‘We demand an independent and credible inquiry into the violation of human rights in Sri Lanka.’
Talking to reporters in the national capital, union finance minister P Chidambaram said that consultations with other parties were on as far as Parliament passing resolution on war crimes in Sri Lanka is concerned.
On DMK withdrawing support he said, ‘The government is stable and enjoys majority in Lok Sabha. The government will continue.’
In a related incident the Parliament on Tuesday March 19 witnessed repeated adjournments during Question Hour as DMK and AIADMK disrupted proceedings in both the Houses on the issues of ethnic Tamils in Sri Lanka.
AIADMK, DMK, VCK and CPI members waved placards which read in the Lok Sabha which said, ‘Try war criminal Rajabakse in International Court’ and ‘We condemn the betrayal of India against Tamils in UNHRC.’
There have been instances in the past where the DMK has arm-twisted the Congress, be it the issue of disinvestments or giving the portfolio of to A Raja.
