Be conscious of India’s limitations on Lankan issue - Karunanidhi

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Sunday said India had constraints in intervening in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka.

“Should we not be conscious of India’s limitations ? The Centre is helping the Tamils because we have adopted a resolution at the all-party meeting,” he said in a statement.

The Chief Minister’s reaction came in the wake of the allegation of PMK founder S. Ramadoss that Tamil Nadu had failed in persuading the Centre to effect a ceasefire in Sri Lanka.

“The PMK is also part of the Government at the Centre. Dr. Ramadoss’ son is a Union Minister. He also has the responsibility to persuade the Centre,” the Chief Minister said.

Recalling the reservations expressed by Congress leaders when a resolution of the all-party meeting decided to submit the resignations of the MPs from Tamil Nadu, Mr Karunanidhi said the CPI(M) also did not express its stand openly.

Listing out the promises made by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee after his visit to Tamil Nadu, Karunanidhi said both

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Mr. Mukherjee had stressed that there could be no military solution to the Sri Lankan ethnic crisis.

As for Dr. Ramadoss suggestion for sending telegrams to the United Nations, the Chief Minister said it was the DMK that first gave the call to send telegrams to the Prime Minister. Stating that blaming each other would in no way help resolve the crisis, he said the objective was to protect the Tamils in Sri Lanka.