Ramadoss demands resolution on Lanka issue in Assembly

Tiruchirapalli, Nov 9 (UNI) PMK leader S Ramadoss today urged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi to ensure that a unanimous resolution condemning attacks on Tamils in Sri Lanka by the army and requesting the Centre to exert pressure on the island nation to declare ceasefire immediately, was passed in the Assembly session, beginning tomorrow.

He told newspersons here he had made this demand to Union Minister T R Baalu during their recent meeting in Chennai.

He said India could exert pressure on Sri Lanka for bringing about peace in the island nation.

Dr Ramadoss said there were justifiable reasons for India to interfere in the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, as ''we had interfered in the internal affairs of Pakistan during 70's to help the formation of Bangladesh.

He said the PMK was of the view that a solution to the ethnic issue could be worked out only through negotiations and not military action.

Replying to another question, he said Mr Karunanidhi should be firm on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue. Instead of speaking in different voices. He should use his good relations with the Centre to urge Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to tell Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakshe during the latter's proposed visit to India, to declare a ceasefire.

He hoped that the Prime Minister would do this.

Endorsing the Chief Minister's plea that voices in Tamil Nadu should rise in unison in support of the suffering Tamils, Dr Ramadoss said the entire state was behind Mr Karunanidhi on this issue and ''he need not worry about a few dissenting voices.'' He said PMK legislators apart from moving a resolution on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, would also raise the issues like price hike and power cut in the Assembly.

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