Cong leadership to discuss PM's participation in CHOGM

Top Congress leadership is expected to take a call tomorrow on whether Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should participate in Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) to be held in Sri Lanka next week.
The Congress Core Group, headed by Sonia Gandhi, will meet here to discuss the issue against the backdrop of opposition by some Union Ministers and Tamil parties, sources said.
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.

Congress has so far refused to publically take a stand on the politically-sensitive issue.
The party yesterday said it will back whatever decision Prime Minister Manmohan Singh takes on India's pariticipation in the summit keeping in mind national interests.
Union ministers V Narayanasamy, Jayanthi Natarajan and G K Vasan have publicly opposed the Prime Minister's participation in the summit.
Political parties and various outfits in Tamil Nadu are strongly opposed to India's participation in CHOGM and Tamil Nadu Assembly had recently adopted a resolution demanding New Delhi completely boycott it and also have Sri Lanka suspended from the Commonwealth till Colombo ensured equal status for Tamils.