Karunanidhi threatens to pull out of UPA

After threatening to withdraw his ministers from the Centre, DMK chief M Karunanidhi today went a step further warning that his party will pull out altogether from the ruling alliance if it failed to move amendments to the US-sponsored resolution on the Sri Lankan Tamil issue at the UNHRC.
The DMK, a key ally of UPA with 18 Lok Sabha members, insists that India pushes for amendments to the resolution against Sri Lanka to incorporate its demand for an international probe and time-bound action against those found guilty of war crimes in Sri Lanka.
The resolution will come up for voting at the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) in Geneva on March 21.

Close on the heels of his Friday's warning of pulling out DMK ministers from the Government, Karunanidhi shot off letters to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, saying he feels "let down" by the "lukewarm" response of the government.
"If our demands are not met, it is doubtful whether our ties with the alliance (UPA) will continue...It won't continue is sure," Karunanidhi told reporters here.
Addressing a hurriedly convened press meet here, the 88-year-old leader said irrespective of the US accepting India's amendments or not, New Delhi should move them at the UN human rights body in Geneva.

The US-sponsored motion puts Sri Lanka on the mat over alleged war crimes and human rights violations against Tamil civilians during the last phase of the war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

The UN body had adopted a similar US-backed resolution last year with the support of India which asked Colombo to make rapid progress on reconciliation with the ethnic Tamils.
To a question, Karunanidhi said none from the Centre had contacted him after he had warned of his party quitting the government.
DMK, an ally of UPA since 2004, has one cabinet minister and four junior ministers in the Manmohan Singh ministry.