MDMK demands PM's resignation, dissolution of Parliament

Chennai, Jul 9 (UNI) MDMK General Secretary Vaiko today demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh following withdrawal of support to the Congress-led UPA government by the Left Parties on the Indo-US Nuclear deal issue.

In a statement here, he said the Congress-led Government at the Centre had lost its majority after the Left Parties submitted letters to President Prathiba Patil withdrawing their support.

''The Prime Minister should immediately resign and the Parliament should be dissolved'', he added.

If the Congress desired to continue in power after losing the majority, the President should take steps to convene the Parliament to enable Dr Manmohan Singh to seek a vote of confidence, he said and added that the MDMK would vote against the Government in the no-confidence motion.

MDMK has four MPs in the Lok Sabha of which two of them had turned rebel and had pledged their support to the Congress. The rebel MPs -- L Ganesan and Gingee Ramachandran -- called on DMK President and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi last evening and pledged their support to the Congress government at the Centre.

Expressing his opposition to the Indo-US Nuclear Deal, he said it amounted to surrendering India's sovereignty to US.

Mr Vaiko said by conducting nuclear tests in 1974 and in 1998, India had proved itself as a nuclear super power and also enhanced its prestige at the global level.

''If India goes ahead and inked the pact with US, it will amount to surrendering its self-reliant status to US. Signing of the deal will also make India act to the diktats of US,'' he said, and urged the Centre not to ink the deal at any cost.

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