NEW DELHI: The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), a key regional party in Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s ruling coalition, on Tuesday announced to pull out of the ruling alliance over the government’s failure to condemn alleged atrocities against Sri Lankan Tamils, weakening the government which was already a minority in parliament.
The DMK, based in the Indian southern state of Tamil, had been pressuring the government to condemn Sri Lanka over alleged war crimes against ethnic minority Tamils during the neighbouring island’s civil war.
“The Government of India did not even consider the amendments (to the US resolution in the UNHRC) proposed by the DMK. So, a situation has arisen where the alliance will not benefit Eelam Tamils in any way. Despite this, if the DMK continues in the Union government, it will be a grave injustice. So, the DMK has decided to pull out of the government and the UPA,” said the party chief M Karunanidhi in a statment at Anna Arivalayam, the DMK HQ.
Five ministers belonging to the DMK party, led by M Karunanidhi, will also resign from the coalition led by the Congress party.
The DMK has 18 lawmakers in the 545-member lower house of parliament in New Delhi. Without the DMK, Singh’s ruling alliance would be 44 seats short of a majority and more reliant on the support of smaller regional groups to pass legislation.
DND
