PM calls Oppn for consensus on Lanka

NEW DELHI, MAY 6: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has called a meeting of Opposition parties on Monday with the objective of evolving ...

NEW DELHI, MAY 6: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has called a meeting of Opposition parties on Monday with the objective of evolving a consensus on what should be India8217;s stand on the prevailing situation in Sri Lanka.

Union Home Minister L K Advani gave an indication of the thinking in the government when he said in Nagpur today that quot;we have decided not to go the IPKF way.8221; He added that, quot;in a situation like this where we are expected to do something, we8217;ll surely do something8230; But this is an internal matter of Sri Lanka8230; and we would not like to get embroiled directly in that country8217;s civil war.quot;

The National Democratic Alliance has already endorsed the stand taken by the Vajpayee government not to send arms and men to aid the Sri Lankan army.

In fact, most of the NDA members from Tamil Nadu have supported the government stand so far even though they criticised the PM for not 8220;consulting8221; them on the issue.

Sources in the NDA say that the government would like Sri Lanka to seek the help of the United Nations in whatever form it deemed fit rather than ask India to involve in the crisis.

India is reported to have advised the Sri Lankans to find a quot;negotiated settlementquot; of the crisis rather than settling it militarily.

Meanwhile, AIADMK supremo Jayalalitha said India should use its good offices for bringing about a 8220;negotiated settlement8221; to end the ethnic strife in Sri Lanka. She welcomed Centre8217;s rejection of Sri Lankan government8217;s request for military intervention to tackle the LTTE. She said in Chennai that India should extend humanitarian assistance to the suffering Tamils.

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She, however, condemned the PM8217;s action of consulting the constituents of the NDA alone and said Vajpayee should have convened an all party meeting to discuss the 8220;important national issue8221;.

Former finance minister P Chidambaram said in Chennai today that any decision taken by the Centre following the crisis in Sri Lanka in the wake of fighting between the LTTE and the Lankan Army should not affect the regional security.

In an informal chat with reporters here at the TMC headquarters, he said all political parties should welcome any decision taken by the Centre which did not affect the regional security. He also expressed his regret that Opposition parties in the state were not consulted by the government.

Stating that another peace keeping force should not be sent by India, he said it was also regrettable that the Centre chose not to consult MPs from Tamil Nadu.