Thursday, April 16, 2009

Karunanidhi blames LTTE’s ‘wrong ways’ for failure to find solution

NEW DELHI, April 13: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Muthuvel Karunanidhi today blamed the LTTE for the failure to find a solution to the Sri Lankan Tamil problem so far.

Writing in his column in ‘Murasoli’, a Tamil newspaper owned by the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and published from Chennai, Karunanidhi said: "A solution to the Sri Lankan Tamils’ problem could not be found yet because the LTTE acted in wrong ways, heeding to the wrong advice of wrong people in Tamil Nadu."

"Those who did not read history or turning a deaf ear to the advice given by learned people, might laud the Nedumaran group. But independent observers, who have love and affection for the Sri Lankan Tamils, are well aware of the fact. I am one among them," he wrote.

His comments come in the wake of efforts of pro-LTTE leaders like Nedumaran and Vaiko to make the Sri Lankan Tamil question a poll plank to garner votes in Tamil Nadu in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

They have been criticising both Karunanidhi and the Congress Party, claiming that they are not doing enough to secure a ceasefire in Sri Lanka to save the lives of thousands of Tamils stranded in the conflict zone. Karunanidhi is DMK president; the DMK is an ally of the Congress Party-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) that is in power at the centre.

Karunanidhi had last week appealed to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to treat Tamils and even beleaguered LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran with respect and dignity, irrespective of the fate of the militant outfit in the ongoing Army offensive.

Enumerating the initiatives taken by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh’s Government to help solve the Sri Lankan Tamils’ issue, Karunanidhi wrote: "The Centre's stand has been against a military solution to the problem. It wants a political solution and relief measures for affected Tamils."

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