Maran calls on TN CM, submits his resignation on Lankan issue

Chennai, Oct 19 (UNI) In a sudden development, Former Union Minister and DMK Lok Sabha member Dayanidhi Maran called on DMK President and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, this evening and submitted his resignation on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue.

Contrary to initial reports that Mr Maran, who fell out of the DMK leader, would send his resignation directly to the Lok Sabha Speaker, called on Mr Karunanidhi at the latter's CIT Colony residence and personally handed over the letter.

With this, all the 16 DMK Lok Sabha members, including seven Ministers and four Rajya Sabha members, including the Chief Minister's poetess daughter Kanimozhi, submitted their resignations.

While all the other MPs had given resignation letters, dated October 29, when the two-week deadline set by the all-party meeting to the Manmohan Singh Government at the Centre to prevail upon Sri Lanka to declare ceasefire ends, Mr Maran gave the resignation letter, dated today.

''I am happy about his decision'', Mr Karunanidhi said when newspersons asked about the resignation submitted by his estranged grandson, but refused to disclose what transpired between him and Mr Maran during the more than half-an-hour meeting.

In an unexpected turn of event, Mr Karunanidhi gave an appointment to Mr Maran, hours after the latter sent him a letter, seeking an appointment to personally handover his resignation letter, like other party MPs.

Mr Maran told waiting newspersons that he has submitted his resignation in line with the resolution adopted at the all-party meeting held here on October 14, that the Centre should prevail upon the Sri Lanka to declare ceasefire within two weeks, failing which, MPs from the State would resign enmasse.

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