The political centre of gravity in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government was today under threat as its constituent, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) demanded the UPA take a stronger position on the Tamil question in Sri Lanka before 22 March or face withdrawal of support by the DMK.
While the numerical majority of the ruling coalition was unassailable at 286 in a House of 540, DMK’s seemingly combative posture made the government draft a resolution which could be tabled in parliament as early as Wednesday. This will then be deemed to be the authoritative position of India at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHCR) which is scheduled to discuss the issues on 22 March.
The DMK’s conditional support threat had the government scurrying to issue assurances that it was in no danger. Finance Minister P Chidambaram said: “We take note of the DMK decision to pull out of the UPA but consultations are on within the government on the resolution. They (DMK) have said that the decision can be reviewed once the resolution is placed in Parliament.
As far as the resolution in the UNHCR is concerned, we are examining the final draft that came to us late last night and whether amendments can be moved to that draft to strengthen that resolution,” Chidambaram said, adding: “The government is stable”. He reminded reporters that the Appropriation Bill (the budget) had been passed in the Lok Sabha on Friday, implying that if the DMK was really interested in embarrassing the government it could have voted against it, but it didn’t.
As no letter had gone to the Rashtrapati Bhavan till the close of the working day notifying withdrawal of support it was clear that the DMK itself was reconsidering its position.
Recognising the government’s vulnerability, its allies came to its aid almost immediately. Although this could be with a view to cash in on IOUs later, Samajwadi Party attacked the DMK unambiguously. The Left parties, once DMK’s most loyal allies, also spoke disapprovingly of the DMK’s ‘posturing’ and asked why the party was not moving a no-confidence motion if it felt so strongly about the Sri lanka issue. The DMK did not side with the Left on FDIU in retail.
MPs, especially Congress MPs, revealed unexpected maturity. “We would not like the resolution our government moves to be country-specific. If we trash an elected Sri Lanka government in our Parliament, what is to stop them from trashing us ?” an MP said. Another said it was all very well to talk about Tamil sentiment, but no one could deny the Indian Army’s sacrifices in Sri Lanka against the very set of people whom the DMK was defending now. A Minister recalled that an Indian Prime Minister had been assassinated by “Tamil terrorists”. “Does the DMK really think that it will get support by recycling LTTE rhetoric?”
The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) too made it clear that it was not interested in becoming part of the DMK’s politics. While criticising the government, the BJP said that though the UPA was facing trouble from within as alliance partners were threatening to move out of the coalition, a no confidence motion against the government just yet was not feasible. It would be better for the alliance government to topple on its own, istead of the opposition doing it.
“UPA has become a DPA (divided progressive alliance). One after another parties are walking out. TMC has walked out. DMK has gone, Samajwadi Party is going and coming. How long do you want this drama to continue? My suggestion is ‘if you are capable, govern the country otherwise get out’,” said M Venkaiah Naidu, former BJP President.
However, the Congress was respectful and considerate about the feelings of the DMK. Congress President Sonia Gandhi in her speech at the Parliamentary Party today made mention of the Tamil issue and said, “The plight of Tamils is very close to our hearts.” She added:“we demand an independent and credible inquiry into the violation of human rights in Sri Lanka.”
While the numerical majority of the ruling coalition was unassailable at 286 in a House of 540, DMK’s seemingly combative posture made the government draft a resolution which could be tabled in parliament as early as Wednesday. This will then be deemed to be the authoritative position of India at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHCR) which is scheduled to discuss the issues on 22 March.
The DMK’s conditional support threat had the government scurrying to issue assurances that it was in no danger. Finance Minister P Chidambaram said: “We take note of the DMK decision to pull out of the UPA but consultations are on within the government on the resolution. They (DMK) have said that the decision can be reviewed once the resolution is placed in Parliament.
As far as the resolution in the UNHCR is concerned, we are examining the final draft that came to us late last night and whether amendments can be moved to that draft to strengthen that resolution,” Chidambaram said, adding: “The government is stable”. He reminded reporters that the Appropriation Bill (the budget) had been passed in the Lok Sabha on Friday, implying that if the DMK was really interested in embarrassing the government it could have voted against it, but it didn’t.
As no letter had gone to the Rashtrapati Bhavan till the close of the working day notifying withdrawal of support it was clear that the DMK itself was reconsidering its position.
Recognising the government’s vulnerability, its allies came to its aid almost immediately. Although this could be with a view to cash in on IOUs later, Samajwadi Party attacked the DMK unambiguously. The Left parties, once DMK’s most loyal allies, also spoke disapprovingly of the DMK’s ‘posturing’ and asked why the party was not moving a no-confidence motion if it felt so strongly about the Sri lanka issue. The DMK did not side with the Left on FDIU in retail.
MPs, especially Congress MPs, revealed unexpected maturity. “We would not like the resolution our government moves to be country-specific. If we trash an elected Sri Lanka government in our Parliament, what is to stop them from trashing us ?” an MP said. Another said it was all very well to talk about Tamil sentiment, but no one could deny the Indian Army’s sacrifices in Sri Lanka against the very set of people whom the DMK was defending now. A Minister recalled that an Indian Prime Minister had been assassinated by “Tamil terrorists”. “Does the DMK really think that it will get support by recycling LTTE rhetoric?”
The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) too made it clear that it was not interested in becoming part of the DMK’s politics. While criticising the government, the BJP said that though the UPA was facing trouble from within as alliance partners were threatening to move out of the coalition, a no confidence motion against the government just yet was not feasible. It would be better for the alliance government to topple on its own, istead of the opposition doing it.
“UPA has become a DPA (divided progressive alliance). One after another parties are walking out. TMC has walked out. DMK has gone, Samajwadi Party is going and coming. How long do you want this drama to continue? My suggestion is ‘if you are capable, govern the country otherwise get out’,” said M Venkaiah Naidu, former BJP President.
However, the Congress was respectful and considerate about the feelings of the DMK. Congress President Sonia Gandhi in her speech at the Parliamentary Party today made mention of the Tamil issue and said, “The plight of Tamils is very close to our hearts.” She added:“we demand an independent and credible inquiry into the violation of human rights in Sri Lanka.”