Lanka resolution issue: Centre slams 'campaign' against Congress

With pressure from Dravidian parties to back a US-sponsored resolution in UNHRC against Sri Lanka for alleged war crimes, the Centre today slammed the "campaign by some parties and Tamil outfits" against Congress and UPA on the issue.

Congress leaders and workers in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry were firm that the Centre should support resolution at the UNHRC meeting in Geneva, Minister of State in PMO, V Narayanasamy told reporters here but did not mention the name of any parties or outfits.

A delegation of Congress leaders and MPs from Tamil Nadu had presented a memorandum to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recently urging that India support the resolution, he said and expressed hope that Singh would take a favourable decision.

The Prime Minister had also assured the delegation that he would sympathetically consider their plea, Narayanasamy said.

He, however, said it was "disheartening to see that some political parties and Tamil outfits in Tamil Nadu were indulging in a misleading campaign against Congress and UPA government causing confusion among people by spreading wrong message that Congress was against the resolution."

"This is a clear attempt on the part of these parties to divert the attention of the people and to seek political mileage," Narayanasamy said.

Without naming the parties, he said some political parties, indulging in "anti-Congress and anti-Centre" campaign, were also trying to whip up sentiments of the people and creating an illusion that Congress was against the Tamils in Sri Lanka.

He reiterated that Congress and the Centre would not remain a silent spectator wherever human rights are violated anywhere in the world.

AIADMK supremo and Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, DMK president M Karunanidhi and MDMK leader Vaiko had taken up the issue with the Prime Minister recently. UPA's key constituent, DMK, has announced convening of its high-level committee on March 20 to discuss the issue.