Centre was silent on Lanka issue: CM

CHENNAI: Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Monday recalled the resolution moved by her and adopted by the State Assembly on June 8, 2011, asking the Centre to impose economic sanctions on Sri Lanka until the island nation resettles all the internally displaced Tamils in their native places and accord them rights on par with the Sinhalese. The resolution had also urged the Centre to ask the United Nations to declare all those who have committed war crimes against Lankan Tamils as war criminals. Jayalalithaa said, however, the Central government had remained silent without taking any action on the resolution. Jayalalithaa also recalled her letters to the PM written on February 29 condemning the Centre’s reported stand that India would not support the US-backed resolution. Further, she wrote another letter on March 6 when reports appeared in the media that India was against supporting ‘country specific resolutions’ and urged the PM to support the resolution and condemn Lanka. Meanwhile, DMK chief Karunanidhi too wrote letters to the PM, just to avoid taking any blame on the issue.