Jayalalitha and Vaiko to boycott all-party meet

(October 11, Chennai, Sri Lanka Guardian) The AIADMK and the MDMK will stay away from the all-party meet convened by Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on October 14 on the genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka.

AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa described the meeting as just an “eye wash and a time-pass.” She said her party will not take part in the drama.

“Karunanidhi has no moral right to convene the meeting as he had remained a silent spectator when fishermen from Tamil Nadu were attacked by the Lankan Navy,” the AIADMK leader added.

“The DMK should withdraw its support to the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre.
Only then will the Centre come forward to save the Lankan Tamils," Jayalalithaa said.

She challenged Karunanidhi, who had resigned as MLA on the Lankan issue when the DMK was out of power in the State and the Centre, to step down as Chief Minister. Echoing Jayalalithaa, MDMK chief Vaiko said, “Karunanidhi has no moral right to convene the meeting.” The DMK-led government is a “party to the Centre,” which has been helping Sri Lanka by training its forces. “Indian radar personnel have trained the Lankan Air Force on accurate bombing, which killed thousands of Tamils," Vaiko alleged.

He also demanded the Centre to own up the responsibility of killing innocent people. Recalling the all-party meet on the Hogenakkal issue, he said, “After the meeting, the government had unilaterally decided to put the project on the backburner." The MDMK on Friday held a demonstration in the city on the Lankan issue. Former AIADMK Minister Muthusamy and pro-LTTE leader Nedumaran also addressed the MDMK cadre.

Though MDMK activists tried to take out a march to Shastri Bhavan, police stopped them.
Party leaders were asked to get down from the temporary stage. Later, Vaiko and party cadre were arrested. - Sri Lanka Guardian