Mounting pressure on the Centre over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi will lead an all-party delegation to Delhi on December 4, seeking the prime minister's intervention for an immediate ceasefire in the island nation.
The decision was taken at a meeting of leaders of legislative parties today at the Secretariat in Chennai convened by the Chief Minister. However, it was not clear whether representatives from principal opposition AIADMK, its ally MDMK, BJP, CPI, CPI-M and DMDK will be part of the delegation as they boycotted today's meeting, saying it was "unnecessary".
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, which was attended by leaders of DMK, Congress, and PMK, Karunanidhi ruled out withdrawal of support to the UPA government at the Centre over the issue, saying it is not necessary at this juncture.
The Chief Minister said his only regret was that a ceasefire had not come about in Sri Lanka, despite a promise by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee in this regard. It was also decided at the meeting that MPs from all political parties from the state would meet the Prime Minister on November 28 to reiterate their demand.
A resolution adopted at the meeting asked the Centre to warn the Sri Lankan government to stop the war against Tamils in the island nation, instead of just asking them to do so repeatedly.
However, Karunanidhi said the Centre had ensured supply of food, medicine and clothes to Tamils in the island nation soon after the visit of Mukherjee here to discuss the matter with him.