Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Monday described as “evasive” Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's statement in Parliament that India was inclined to vote in favour of the U.S. resolution on Sri Lanka and said it would serve no purpose.
In a statement, she said the Prime Minister was silent on human rights violations in Sri Lanka. “Nor did he say the Sri Lankan government has to be condemned for violation of human rights. It was an evasive reply and served no purpose.”
She said Dr. Singh had merely said that his government was inclined to vote in favour of the resolution sponsored by the U.S. but at the same time he had mentioned that the final text of the resolution was not available to him. The Prime Minister had stated that India's objective was the achievement of a future for the Tamils in Sri Lanka marked by equality, dignity, justice and self-respect. He had said nothing about human rights violations, she contended.
Ms. Jayalalithaa said she had written two letters to the Prime Minister, first on February 29, and again on March 6, urging India to support the U.S.-sponsored resolution in the U.N. Human Rights Council for its human rights violations in the last phase of the war. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M. Karunanidhi had also written letters to the Prime Minister to escape criticism.
She alleged that Dr. Singh was only seeking to give substance to the “drama” enacted by the DMK chief by coming out with a vague statement that contained no reference to human rights violations.
Published - March 20, 2012 03:42 am IST
