DMK leaders meet Prez, hand over letter withdrawing support to UPA

New Delhi, March 19: 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".

A day after three senior Union ministers -- A K Antony, P Chidambaram and Ghulam Nabi Azad met him, DMK chief M Karunanidhi today 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."

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.

On Monday, Congress had rushed three of its senior Ministers A K Antony, P Chidambaram and Ghulam Nabi Azad to mollify Karunanidhi.

At the end of near three hour consultations, the two sides failed to break any ice with Karunanidhi making a fresh demand for Parliament to adopt a resolution on the DMK suggested amendments to the UNHRC resolution.

One of the amendments was to "declare that genocide and war crimes had been committed and inflicted on the Eelam Tamils by the Sri Lankan Army and the administrators."

The second was "establishment of a credible and independent international commission of investigation in a time bound manner into the allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity, violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law and crime of genocide against the Tamils."

Along with the DMK, which has 18 Lok Sabha members, another UPA ally Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) too quit the coalition with its lone MP and party founder Thol Thirumavalavan announcing its decision.

DMK's announcement to quit comes at a time when the state has been witnessing a series of protests by various parties, including by students, over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue with emotions running high.

Meanwhile, the DMK has summoned its key decision-making body, the Executive, under Karunanidhi on March 25 in the backdrop of the latest developments.