Members of Parliament from the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu walked out of the Rajya Sabha this morning after tearing the statement made by Foreign Affairs Minister SM Krishna on the issue, Indian television news station NDTV reported.
In Chennai, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa said that the Prime Minister’s response on the proposed vote is unsatisfactory. In a letter yesterday, the PM had hinted that India will not vote against its neighbour but will push the Sri Lankan government for transparent and detailed investigations and actions against those found guilty of human rights violations against Sri Lankan Tamils and others.
Mr Krishna echoed that line today, saying India would “need to examine whether our actions will actually assist in the process of reconciliation in Sri Lanka, and enhance the current dialogue between the Government of Sri Lanka and Tamil parties.”
The Opposition party from Tamil Nadu, the DMK, is a senior partner in the Prime Minister’s coalition and has said that it will not accept any plan that involves voting with Sri Lanka or abstention during the vote in Geneva.
To underline this, the DMK yesterday moved amendments to President Pratibha Patil’s address to Parliament earlier this week. The DMK wants it changed to reflect India’s stand on Sri Lanka and its alleged war crimes. The gesture of asking for an amendment seriously undermines the government because it suggests a key partner in the ruling coliation .