M A I N   N E W S

Govt gets into firefight mode on DMK threat
Will consult allies before vote: Khurshid
KV Prasad
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 17
With DMK chief M Karunanidhi stepping up pressure on the UPA over taking a stand on the US-backed resolution at this week’s United Nations Human Rights Convention at Geneva this week, time for the Congress to launch a firefighting operation has come.

Hours after Karunanidhi fired another salvo at the UPA, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said in Lucknow that the government would take a call on the vote after talking to its allies, especially the DMK.

In Chennai, the DMK chief charged the Centre with a lukewarm response on the issue and threatened to walk out of the ruling coalition unless amendments were moved to the US resolution. He suggested that New Delhi should move amendment seeking international probe into the “genocide” allegedly committed by Sri Lankan troops during the last phase of the war against LTTE in 2009.

Stating that he felt let down by the Manmohan Singh Government on the issue, the octogenarian DMK leader dropped hints at possible snap in the ties. The latest threat was a step further from his Saturday’s announcement of possibility of pulling out his ministers.

Although the Congress and the DMK have had alliance since 2004, relations between the parties have taken a downward turn since the 2G Spectrum scandal broke out during UPA-II. Sources in the External Affairs Ministry said here that India hopes for an early progress towards reconciliation, reduction of high security zones, return of private land held by military and phasing out of security forces in civilian activities in Northern Province.

The ministry said India made a statement last November in the working group of the Human Rights Council during the discussion of the National Report of Sri Lanka for the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), making several recommendations to Colombo on their UPR.

At the March 15 meeting of the Council, that is a continuation of this process for the formal adoption of the report of this working group, India expressed appreciation of Sri Lanka accepting New Delhi’s recommendation to implement the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission report and to promote trilingual policy.

India, the sources said, also expressed the hope that the investigations into the allegations of human rights violations and the loss of civilian lives will be independent and credible and that New Delhi looks forward to speedy resolution of the residual issues pertaining to the resettlement and rehabilitation process.

The March 15 statement also noted commitment by the Sri Lankan Government to hold elections in the Northern Province to the Provincial Council during September and said New Delhi expects that people there would be able to exercise the democratic right.

Feel let down, says Karuna

• DMK chief M Karunanidhi said there was no point in continuing the alliance if the Centre failed to move amendments to the US-sponsored resolution
• He suggested that New Delhi move an amendment seeking an international probe into the “genocide” committed by Lankan troops during the last phase of the war against LTTE
• Terming the Centre’s response to the issue as lukewarm, he said the party felt let down by the Manmohan Singh govt