Act fast to save Tamils: Karunanidhi to Centre

PERTURBED by the delay in sending External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to ensure a ceasefire in Sri Lanka, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, elected as DMK president for the tenth time on Saturday, made a “tearful” appeal to the Centre to act fast to save Tamils in Lanka. The general council of the party, which elected Karunanidhi again as its leader, also passed a resolution conveying its disappointment over the delay.

“An all-party team that I had led, called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who assured us that Pranab Mukherjee would be sent to Colombo to ensure ceasefire to save Tamils. However, the Union Government is not acting fast enough to save them. With each passing minute, an innocent life is being taken,” said Karunanidhi in his “tearful appeal”, urging the Centre to send the Minister without any further delay. Even while making his displeasure clear, Karunanidhi said he had faith in the Centre and was hopeful for a favourable reply.

Earlier, Karunanidhi was reelected DMK president at a ceremony where his son and heir apparent M K Stalin was anointed treasurer of the organisation replacing State Electricity Minister Arcot N Veerasamy. Stalin is now third-in-command after Karunanidhi and K Anbazhagan. Karunanidhi, 85, was first made the party president after the death of party founder and former chief minister C N Annadurai in 1969.