Kanimozhi submits resignation to Karunanidhi

Chennai, Oct.15 : Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Rajya Sabha member and daughter of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi, Kanimozhi on Wednesday submitted her resignation from the upper house to the party chief and her father in line with the decision of an all-party meeting to put pressure on the Central Government to call for a ceasefire in Sri Lanka.

Her resignation came a day after an all-party meeting on the issue of Sri Lankan Tamils passed a resolution that all members of Parliament from Tamil Nadu would quit within a fortnight to press the demand.

Kanimozhi said that the DMK would take an "appropriate decision at appropriate time" on her resignation.

She said Tuesday's resolution had given two weeks' time to the Central Government to put pressure on the Sri Lankan Government to announce a ceasefire in the Tamil-speaking northern part of the island.

As the resolution was applicable to Rajya Sabha members also, Kanimozhi handed over her resignation to Karunanidhi.

The DMK, the Congress, the Left and a few other parties attended the meeting. The opposition AIADMK, MDMK, the BJP and the DMDK boycotted it, describing the initiative as an "eye-wash".

Tuesday's resolution reflects the collective mindset of Tamils in Tamil Nadu following the large scale massacre of Tamils in Sri Lanka.

There are 39 Members of Parliament representing Tamil Nadu and one from Puducherry. If these parliamentarians carry out their threat to resign, the ruling United Progressive Alliance would be reduced to a minority.

The resolution was passed after a three-hour-long meeting.

ANI