Four DMK MPs tender resignations; human chain rally on Oct 21

Chennai, Oct 17 (UNI) All the four newly elected DMK Rajya Sabha Members tendered their resignations, even as the ruling DMK was gearing up to organise a massive human chain rally here on October 21, demanding that the Sri Lankan Government declare a ceasefire and stop genocide against the Tamils.

After DMK President and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's poetess daughter Kanimozhi tendered her resignation on October 15, three more DMK Rajya Sabha members submitted their resignations yesterday.

The three MPs, Tiruchy Siva, Advocate Jinnah and Ms Vasanthi Stanely submitted their papers to Mr Karunanidhi last evening and left it to the Party President to take an appropriate decision at an appropriate time.

All the four MPs have addressed their resignation letters to the Chairman of Rajya Sabha and post-dated them at October 29, when the two-week deadline set by the all-party meeting for the en masse resignation of MPs from Tamil Nadu, if the Centre failed to prevail upon Sri Lanka to declare a ceasefire.

The all-party meeting, on October 14, in a resolution, served an ultimatum to the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre that if it failed to ask the Sri Lankan Government to declare ceasefire and save the Tamils, all MPs from Tamil Nadu would step down.

The Rajya Sabha members have taken the lead in putting in their papers as doubts were raised that the resolution would apply only to Lok Sabha members.

The DMK Rajya Sabha members have submitted their resignations to drive home the point that they do not lack behind in protecting the lives of the Lankan Tamils.

Meanwhile, Mr Karunanidhi made a passionate plea to the people of the state to attend the human chain rally, organised in the city on October 21 and express their solidarity with the suffering Tamils in Sri Lanka.

More UNI WS ROY SY RK1520