Twitter
Advertisement

PM to take final call on boycott of Commonwealth meet in Sri Lanka: Narayanasamy

The Congress leader further said the Prime Minister should attend the meeting on the basis of the collective decision.

Latest News
article-main
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin

With Union Shipping Minister GK Vasan joining the chorus for boycott of Commonwealth meeting in Colombo over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office (PMO) V. Narayanasamy on Saturday said Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh will take a final call on it after holding discussions with External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid.

"As far as the Commonwealth meetings is concerned, it is going to happen in November 2013. The Tamil Nadu assembly passed a resolution, send it to the Government of India. The DMK leader also made such a request by passing a resolution in their general council. The DMK Party also made the request. Vasan also said that clearly this is his personal view," Narayanasamy told media here.

"As far as the Government of India is concerned, there is still time. The Prime Minister will discuss the issue with the Foreign Affairs Minister and (then) the Prime Minister will take a final decision on that," he added.

Vasan yesterday said the venue of the Commonwealth meeting should be shifted if there is no change in Lanka's approach towards ethnic Tamils.

"It is my personal opinion...I feel in the coming days, if there is no change in the approach of Sri Lanka (towards ethnic Tamils), the countries that voted (in favour of the US sponsored-resolution in UNHRC) should jointly make efforts to shift the venue of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) to some other country," he said.

The Congress leader further said the Prime Minister should attend the meeting on the basis of the collective decision.

Vasan's remarks came days after the ruling AIADMK and M. Karunanidhi-led DMK in Tamil Nadu demanded that India should boycott Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting scheduled to be held in November in Colombo.

The Tamil Nadu assembly had adopted a resolution, moved by Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, earlier on Wednesday urging the Centre to take firm steps against Colombo till the 'suppression' of Tamils was stopped and those responsible for 'genocide and war crimes' faced a credible international probe.

The resolution came close on the heels of Jayalalithaa writing to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, saying India should boycott the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting to be held in Colombo in November this year.

The 30-year-long civil war between the government and the Tamil Tiger rebels of LTTE who at one time controlled large swathes of the north of the island state is estimated to have left tens of thousands of people dead or injured.

Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement