Chennai, March 5, 2013
Stepping up pressure on
Congress-led UPA Government, its key southern ally DMK on Tuesday demanded that
India support the US-sponsored resolution at the UNHRC against Sri Lanka as
over 4,000 people staged a protest against Colombo's alleged war crimes.
The resolution at UNHRC
"will certainly succeed. Our strong demand is that India should also
cooperate," DMK chief M. Karunanidhi told reporters.
Mr. Karunanidhi's son
and DMK Treasurer M.K. Stalin led the protest under the banner of party-backed
TESO (Tamil Eelam Supporters' Organisation) and as the 4000-strong protesters
set out on a march to picket the Sri Lankan Deputy High Commission here there
were arrested, police said.
Besides Mr. Stalin,
other prominent leaders arrested included Dravidar Kazhagam chief K Veeramani
and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) founder and Lok Sabha member Thol
Thirumavalavan.
The protestors raised
slogans such as asking the Centre not to betray Tamils and not to underestimate
Tamils' sentiments as they insisted that India support the US initiative.
Mr. Karunanidhi, who has
been vocal in recent months on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue and revived the
TESO, said theprotest was not just confined to the city but also held in
different parts of the state.
The Centre should
realise that these were not the efforts of one particular party but the
"united voice" of people of Tamil Nadu, he said.
Government should
"at least now come forward" to ensure the welfare of Eelam Tamils, he
said adding "We hope Centre will come forward to better the
livelihood" of Tamils.
In Delhi, DMK MPs
attended Parliament wearing black shirts after staging a protest inside the
Parliament House complex.
DMK Rajya Sabha member
Kanimozhi said Tuesday's protest was aimed at pressing the central government
to make its stand clear on the US-sponsored resolution. India had supported a
similar resolution last year.
She demanded India
support the resolution and sought fresh probe into alleged human rights
violations in Sri Lanka, saying New Delhi should take the initiative in moving
any such resolution in the future.
The Sri Lankan Tamils
issue has generated heat again in Tamil Nadu in recent weeks following the
alleged cold-blooded killing of slain LTTE chief V Prabakaran's 12 year-old son
Balachandran, a charge denied by Colombo.
The issue was also
raised in Rajya Sabha last week when DMK along with AIADMK and Left parties
staged a walk out dissatisfied with the government's reply. The issue is likely
to be discussed in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.
The Government has taken
the stand that it cannot foreclose its position on the resolution,
saying it would depend on actions taken by Sri Lanka.
