Cong leadership meets to discuss PM's participation in CHOGM

Amid political controversy over India's participation in the CHOGM meet in Sri Lanka, Congress top brass today deliberated on all aspects of the issue but a decision is yet to taken on whether Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will attend the November 15 event.
A meeting of the Congress Core Group headed by party president Sonia Gandhi with the Prime Minister by her side deliberated over the issue for more than one hour.
Further consultations are expected soon to take a call on whether the Prime Minister should attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) meet, party sources said.
There has been a huge political controversy over India's participation in the summit with political parties and various groups in Tamil Nadu strongly opposed to it.

Tamil Nadu Assembly recently adopted a resolution demanding a complete boycott of the event alleging that Sri Lanka has indulged in atrocities against ethnic Tamils.
The government is in a dilemma over the issue with some sections feeling that the Prime Minister's absence at the CHOGM could affect India's image internationally and hence he must participate.

The issue was discussed last month also by the Core Group and Union Ministers P Chidambaram and A K Antony are learnt to have suggested that the PM should not visit Colombo to attend the meet.
Twenty one pro-Tamil outfits have called for a Tamil Nadu and Puducherry bandh on November 12, to mount pressure on the Centre against taking part in the meet.

Congress has so far merely said that it will back whatever decision the Prime Minister takes on India's participation in the summit keeping in mind national interest.
Union ministers V Narayanasamy, Jayanthi Natarajan and G K Vasan have publicly opposed the Prime Minister's participation in the summit.