'Centre considering over citizenship to SL Tamils'

Chennai, Oct 4: Union Home Minister P Chidambaram said that the Centre was considering the Tamil Nadu government's demand to "legally regularize" the stay of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in the state.

Chidambaram said the Centre had received the letter from the State on granting citizenship for over one lakh Tamil refugees living in Tamil Nadu. “We are considering it," he said.

The ruling DMK adopted a resolution at the valedictory of the birth centenary of DMK founder C N Annadurai, held recently at Kancheepuram urging the Centre to make the Tamil refugees living here since 1984 as permanent residents.

To a query on the proposal to send a delegation of MPs to Sri Lanka to study the situation in the island nation, Chidambaram said that such an idea was also being examined.

He said, "The chief minister has given some suggestions and we have also raised some points. A decision will be made after external affairs minister S M Krishna holds consultations with the prime minister."

OneIndia News