Heeding to demands from political parties in Tamil Nadu, prime minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday decided to send external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee to Sri Lanka
NEW DELHI: Heeding to demands from political parties in Tamil Nadu, prime minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday decided to send external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee to Sri Lanka to press for a ceasefire between Lankan forces and LTTE and resume dialogue.
“I requested the prime minister to send Mukherjee to issue a strong warning to the Sri Lankan government to announce a ceasefire immediately and to hold peaceful negotiations with them,” Karunanidhi said after meeting Singh with a multi-party delegation from the state.
“The prime minister agreed to send the foreign minister to Sri Lanka and told me that he will travel to the island nation as soon as possible,” he said. Mukherjee was also present at the meeting.
Asked whether he thought Mukherjee’s visit would solve the issue, the chief minister said, “I believe that there will be some solution to the issue.”
Karunanidhi said a decision on who will accompany Mukherjee to Lanka would be worked out in consultation with him.
On reports that some top officials at South Block (which houses the external affairs ministry) are not allowing the government to intervene in the Sri Lankan issue, the chief minister said, “If it is true and it has happened publicly, then the prime minister would have known by now.”
The DMK chief also met Congress president Sonia Gandhi and apprised her of his discussions with the prime minister and Mukherjee and also requested her to take steps to resolve the issue.
The delegation consisting of the DMK, the Congress, the PMK, the CPI and other smaller parties, submitted a memorandum to the prime minister.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}