Parliament adjourned following Tamil lawmakers protest

New Delhi, Feb 18 (ANI): The Lok Sabha was adjourned for 25 minutes on Wednesday after Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) lawmakers raised a hue and cry over remarks made by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

Mukherjee had stated in the house that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has caused "much damage" to the Tamil community and it should lay down arms.

Concerned over the plight of civilians stuck in the conflict between the LTTE and Sri Lankan armed forces, Mukherjee said India is ready to facilitate their evacuation from northern Sri Lanka.

He further said that the full implementation of the 13th Amendment of the Sri Lankan constitution, which calls for a devolution of powers to the north and eastern provinces of the island, would be a vital step towards ensuring a solution to the issue.

"India continues to support a negotiated political settlement in Sri Lanka within the framework of an undivided Sri Lanka acceptable to all the communities, including the Tamil community," he said.

Dissatisfied over Mukherjee's remarks, MDMK and PMK lawmakers wore black shirts and shouted slogans like, "Stop the war in Sri Lanka" and "We are not satisfied with the statement."

The members urged the Indian Government to work for a "permanent ceasefire" in Sri Lanka. (ANI)