DMK quits UPA
20 March 2013 6:14 AM IST
DMK on Tuesday night withdrew its support to the UPA over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue and ruled out any reconsideration, a move that makes the government vulnerable despite its assertions of having a parliamentary majority.
A five-member DMK delegation headed by T R Baalu handed over a letter by party supremo M Karunanidhi to President Pranab Mukherjee at 10.30pm at Rashtrapati Bhavan withdrawing support of its 18 Lok Sabha MPs to the UPA government.
DMK ministers will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday to submit their resignations, Baalu told reporters after handing over the withdrawal letter.
Asked whether there was a possibility of reconsidering its decision, Baalu said, ‘Who said there is a window of resolution. After having submitted the letter of withdrawal of support, where is the window of resolution.’
Baalu parried questions on whether DMK will extend outside support to the UPA, saying, ‘We will do whatever our leader (Karunanidhi) decides’.
Earlier, DMK, the second biggest constituent in UPA, on Tuesday quit the ruling alliance and pulled out its five Union ministers in protest against government not taking up its concerns in the proposed UN resolution against Sri Lanka on alleged human rights violations of Tamils there.
As the announcement by DMK supremo M Karunanidhi raised questions about the Congress-led government’s stability, finance minister P Chidambaram said there is no crisis and it was ‘absolutely stable’ and enjoyed majority in the Lok Sabha.
‘Since it would be a big harm to Tamil race if DMK continues in Central government when a situation has been created which won’t benefit Eelam Tamils, DMK has decided to immediately pull out of the Union ministry and the UPA,’ Karunanidhi said reading out from a statement in Chennai. He said DMK ministers will resign either today or tomorrow.
The 88-year-old former Tamil Nadu chief minister, however, kept a window open for the return of the DMK to the UPA fold, saying it was ‘ready’ to reconsider its decision if Parliament adopts a resolution before 21 March taking DMK’s concerns on board. The Geneva-based UNHRC is due to vote on 21 March a resolution against Sri Lanka.
Taking a cue from this position taken by DMK, the Congress core group had a meeting after which sources said the government is drafting a resolution to be brought in Parliament in a bid to placate Karunanidhi. It was not immediately known whether DMK’s demands will find mention in the planned resolution.
‘We are hopeful of finding a common ground where support(of DMK) will be given to the UPA,’ Union minister Sachin Pilot told reporters in Delhi.
Of the five DMK ministers, M K Alagiri is of Cabinet rank. The DMK has 18 Lok Sabha MPs and six Rajya Sabha MPs. Karunanidhi also ruled out outside support.
With the DMK pullout, the strength of the UPA has reduced to 224 after its withdrawal but it enjoyed the support of 281 MPs that included those of outside supporting parties. SP(22) and BSP(21) were among the outside supporters(57) in the House where the magic number for a majority is 272.
Karunanidhi’s daughter Kanimozhi said her party pulled out in protest against government’s position on a UN resolution on war crimes in Sri Lanka because it ‘had no choice.’
A five-member DMK delegation headed by T R Baalu handed over a letter by party supremo M Karunanidhi to President Pranab Mukherjee at 10.30pm at Rashtrapati Bhavan withdrawing support of its 18 Lok Sabha MPs to the UPA government.
DMK ministers will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday to submit their resignations, Baalu told reporters after handing over the withdrawal letter.
Asked whether there was a possibility of reconsidering its decision, Baalu said, ‘Who said there is a window of resolution. After having submitted the letter of withdrawal of support, where is the window of resolution.’
Baalu parried questions on whether DMK will extend outside support to the UPA, saying, ‘We will do whatever our leader (Karunanidhi) decides’.
Earlier, DMK, the second biggest constituent in UPA, on Tuesday quit the ruling alliance and pulled out its five Union ministers in protest against government not taking up its concerns in the proposed UN resolution against Sri Lanka on alleged human rights violations of Tamils there.
As the announcement by DMK supremo M Karunanidhi raised questions about the Congress-led government’s stability, finance minister P Chidambaram said there is no crisis and it was ‘absolutely stable’ and enjoyed majority in the Lok Sabha.
‘Since it would be a big harm to Tamil race if DMK continues in Central government when a situation has been created which won’t benefit Eelam Tamils, DMK has decided to immediately pull out of the Union ministry and the UPA,’ Karunanidhi said reading out from a statement in Chennai. He said DMK ministers will resign either today or tomorrow.
The 88-year-old former Tamil Nadu chief minister, however, kept a window open for the return of the DMK to the UPA fold, saying it was ‘ready’ to reconsider its decision if Parliament adopts a resolution before 21 March taking DMK’s concerns on board. The Geneva-based UNHRC is due to vote on 21 March a resolution against Sri Lanka.
Taking a cue from this position taken by DMK, the Congress core group had a meeting after which sources said the government is drafting a resolution to be brought in Parliament in a bid to placate Karunanidhi. It was not immediately known whether DMK’s demands will find mention in the planned resolution.
‘We are hopeful of finding a common ground where support(of DMK) will be given to the UPA,’ Union minister Sachin Pilot told reporters in Delhi.
Of the five DMK ministers, M K Alagiri is of Cabinet rank. The DMK has 18 Lok Sabha MPs and six Rajya Sabha MPs. Karunanidhi also ruled out outside support.
With the DMK pullout, the strength of the UPA has reduced to 224 after its withdrawal but it enjoyed the support of 281 MPs that included those of outside supporting parties. SP(22) and BSP(21) were among the outside supporters(57) in the House where the magic number for a majority is 272.
Karunanidhi’s daughter Kanimozhi said her party pulled out in protest against government’s position on a UN resolution on war crimes in Sri Lanka because it ‘had no choice.’
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