We will decide on alliance soon

(February 25, Chennai, Sri Lanka Guardian) Hitting out at the UPA government in which his son Anbumani Ramadoss is the Health Minister, PMK founder S Ramadoss has said that the Centre had failed to abide by the common minimum programme (CMP) which assured to support peace talks in Sri Lanka.

Speaking to reporters at Madurai yesterday, he said, ‘The UPA’s CMP states that it will support peace talks in the island nation. But the Centre has failed to stick to it.’

The PMK leader came down heavily on the External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s reported statement that the LTTE was killing Tamils who crossed over to the other side.

‘When LTTE is ready for a ceasefire, the Sri lankan government should accept it. The United Nations and European countries are pressuring the Lankan government to stop the war,’ he pointed out.

Even President Prathibha Patel in her speech to Parliament and 15 parties in the UPA alliance wanted the Lankan government to stop the war, he said, adding it was unfair for the Lankan government to ask LTTE to lay down arms, when their forces were indulging in ‘killings’ of Tamils.

On his party’s alliance for the coming Lok Sabha elections, he said a decision would be made at its general council meeting to be held in March.

Referring to a reported statement by senior DMK leader and State Minister Arcot N Veerasamy that some political leaders were waiting for a signal to join hands with AIADMK, Ramadoss said such rhetoric had only forced PMK to strike an alliance with the AIADMK in the past.

On the Advocates-Police clash in Madras High Court premises, he demanded suspension of the Director General of Police and Chennai City Police Commissioner.

‘The advocates had taken genuine interest in the Sri Lankan Tamils issue and their agitation only reflected the feelings of the people in the State’, he said and added: ‘The clash had been instigated to divert the people’s attention from the main issue.’

-Sri Lanka Guardian