CHOGM: Cong core group meets

Amid demand by parties from Tamil Nadu that India should boycott the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting CHOGM summit in Colombo next month,the Congress core group on Wednesday discussed options,including scaling down New Delhis participation in the CHOGM.

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid has confirmed his participation at the meet,but the government is yet to decide if President Pranab Mukherjee,Prime Minister Manmohan Singh or Vice-President Hamid Ansari would lead the Indian side. There is immense pressure on the government from the political parties in Tamil Nadu to completely boycott the event even though that has been ruled out with Khurshids announcement.

The Tamil Nadu Assembly has also passed a unanimous resolution urging boycott of the meeting. The issue has political and diplomatic ramifications. While the Congress believes India cannot stay away from a multilateral forum or stop engaging with Colombo,it admits its participation will have electoral and political impact in Tamil Nadu.