DMK submits letter withdrawing support to UPA

New Delhi, March 19: Senior DMK leader T R Baalu on Tuesday submitted to President Pranab Mukherjee the party's letter withdrawing support to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) for its reluctance to condemn Sri Lanka for committing human rights abuses on the Tamils.

The withdrawal will end the DMK's nearly nine-year-old presence in the ruling UPA.

Baalu, who flew in Delhi Tuesday evening from Chennai carrying the letter of the withdrawal of support from DMK supremo M Karunanidhi, met party MPs before going to Rashtrapati Bhavan to hand over the letter for the president.

Talking to media persons afterwards, Baalu, the leader of the DMK parliamentary party, refused to entertain any question on the party's future course of action, saying that all these issues are not discussed with media.

"In politics, we can't decide everything over media. Our leaders will meet at headquarters (Chennai) and decide."

He said that DMK ministers would be meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Wednesday morning to submit their resignations. Asked the time, he said that this would be before 11 a.m. and he would seek an appointment.

Asked if he was ruling out the possibility of outside support to the government or a window for returning to the UPA fold was still open if government brings a resolution before the parliament as sought by DMK, Baalu said: "Who said so... This is your wishful thinking."

He said where was the window when they have submitted the letter of withdrawal of support to to the president.

"This can't be discussed with media," he said again upon being asked again if DMK could extend outside support to the government.

IANS