Joint vigil of IMBL only after Centre's nod: MK

Chennai, Mar 13 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today said Sri Lanka's reported proposal for a joint monitoring of the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) with India to prevent attacks on Indian fishermen was possible, only if the Centre gave its nod.

Answering a set of questions here, he said the joint monitoring mechanism by Indian and Lankan Navies to ensure the safety of fishermen depended on the basis of decision to be taken by the UPA government.

It would be wrong, if a section of the media had reported that he had agreed to such proposal, Mr Karunanidhi said adding there was no question of his giving the assent and it was for the Centre to decide. ''As far as we are concerned our fishermen should be protected,'' he added.

The Chief Minister said he was immensely happy that the Centre, which had initially turned down the state's request for introducing Tamil as the official language for proceedings in Madras High court, had agreed to process the matter afresh and obtain the consent of the President, after he took up the matter with Prime Minsiter Manmohan Singh.

On Union Minister E V K S Elangovan's reported remark that nobody should compell that Tamil should be the official language for proceedings in the High Court, he said Mr Elangovan, who is the grandson of rationalist leader Periyar E V Ramasamy, should not have said like that.

Mr Karunanidhi said Tamil daily 'Janasakthi', which had published Mr Elangovan's remarks, had in its editorial, suggested that, MPs and MLAs from Tamil Nadu should prevail upon the Centre to ensure introduction of Tamil as offical language for proceedings in the High Court.

Those who were opposed to it were opposed to the federal set up, the editorial said and he wanted to refer the same as reply to Mr Elangovan, the Chief Minsiter said.

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