Karuna seeks to clear air over decision to pull out

Seeking to clear the air over its decision to pull out of the UPA, DMK on Wednesday said it took the step only after it became evident that there was no way the amendments suggested by it could be incorporated in the US resolution in the UNHRC against Sri Lanka. Responding to Union finance minister P. Chidambaram’s remarks questioning the party’s change of mind even while its demands were being considered, DMK president M. Karunanidhi also said there was no public announcement that the party’s demands were being looked into it. “These are the reasons for DMK’s announcement (of withdrawal of support to UPA) and nothing else,” he said. *** Mamata to support govt on Lankan Tamils issue Kolkata, March 20: UPA’s estranged ally Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday sprang a surprise by promising to support the Centre on whatever stand it took on Sri Lankan Tamils issue at the UNHRC. “Our party supports the cause of the Tamil brothers and sisters. We are deeply concerned about the atrocities meted out to a section of Tamil population in a foreign country,” Ms Banerjee wrote in a Facebook post. “We are always with our Tamil brothers. We appreciate their concerns. This is the local sentiment. We appreciate their sentiment also,” Ms Banerjee said here. “At the same time, on issue of external affairs or foreign policy our party never interferes whatever it (India) thinks fit for the interest of the country. We leave it to the central government to decide on the issue,” Ms Banerjee said. — PTI