'Decision on PM attending CHOGM yet to be taken'

Finance Minister P. Chidambaram Saturday said a decision is yet to be taken on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's participation at the Commonwealth Heads Of Government Meeeting (CHOGM) at Colombo Nov 15-17.

Speaking to reporters after meeting DMK president M. Karunanidhi here, Chidambaram said a decision is yet to be taken and the reports about Manmohan Singh's participation in the CHOGM are incorrect.

Chidambaram declined to share details of his meeting with Karunanidhi.

However, the meeting comes after Karunanidhi said Oct 31 that there should not even be a token of participation by India at the CHOGM to register protest over the alleged war crimes against Tamils in Sri Lanka.

He also said Congress would face consequences if Manmohan Singh participated. Karunanidhi was responding to media queries on reports about Congress permitting the prime minister to attend CHOGM.

Tamil Nadu political parties, including the state unit of the Congress, are opposed to India participating in CHOGM.

The state assembly Oct 24 passed an unanimous resolution urging the central government not to send any representatives to the CHOGM, and sought that a decision to this effect be conveyed to Sri Lanka immediately.

The DMK which came out of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in March over the central government's policy on Sri Lankan Tamils, continued to maintain ties with the Congress.

Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi got re-elected to the Rajya Sabha with Congress support this year.

Condemning the alleged rape and murder of Isaipriya, a Lankan media personality, Chidambaram urged the Sri Lankan government to take action against the guilty.