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Chennai, Mar 19 (PTI): The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Tuesday decided to pull out of the United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre for allowing “watering down” of the US resolution against Sri Lanka at the UNHRC and not considering its suggestions on the matter.
A day after three senior Union ministers -- A K Antony, P Chidambaram and Ghulam Nabi Azad met him, DMK chief M Karunanidhi on Tuesday snapped his party's nine-year long association with UPA and also decided to withdraw his ministers from the government.
After chairing an emergency meeting of TESO, a pro-Tamil organisation revived by him last year, a combative Karunanidhi charged the Mamnohan Singh government with not only allowing ”watering down” of the US resolution against Sri Lanka at the UNHRC but also not even considering any of DMK's suggested amendments to that resolution.
”When a situation has been created that will not benefit Ealam Tamils, it will be a big harm to the Tamil race for DMK to continue in government. (therefore) it has been decided that DMK will withdraw from the cabinet and the coalition,” he said in a statement read out by him.
Asked whether his party would extend outside support to the Centre, he emphatically said, “Ethuvum kidayathu” (nothing).
DMK has 18 Lok Sabha MPs, one cabinet minister and four junior ministers.
Asked whether he would reconsider his decision of quitting the alliance if his demand for a resolution in Parliament was conceded by the Centre, Karunanidhi said, “We are ready to change our opinion.”
”We have time till this evening, so also tomorrow and even ahead of March 21. Before that if the resolution is introduced in Parliament as desired by us and taken up for discussion, we are ready to change our opinion” (of withdrawal of support), the 88 year-old leader said.
Recalling his earlier statement that he had aligned with Congress even during crises only to keep communal forces at bay and whether today's decision would benefit them, he said ”We are not responsible for that.”
Asked whether the Centre has betrayed Tamils, he said ”Even UN betrayed, including India.”
Slamming the Centre, he said its failure to understand the depth of the Tamils issue or not supporting them or remaining neutral “will close down the democratic ideals propounded by Mahatma Gandhi and (Sri Lankan Tamil veteran) Chelvanayagam.”
This would be an “anti-democratic” act, he said.
Karunanidhi said his party had expected the UN and its member countries to factor in all the issues and come out with a decision that would soothe all.
”But Sri Lanka and India which has the state of Tamil Nadu that shares umbilical chord relations with Lanka, have opened the doors to activities inimical to democracy. No Tamil can accept this,” he said.
DMK workers in the party office burst crackers welcoming the party's decision.
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