No compromise in DMK stand on Sri Lanka issue: M Karunanidhi

CHENNAI: Rejecting the charge that his party had compromised on its stand in the Sri Lankan Tamils issue by joining hands with Congress for the Rajya Sabha elections, DMK President M Karunanidhi today said the support was unconditional and was confined to the specific polls.

"DMK initially sought support (for its candidate Kanimozhi) from Left parties, then DMDK and MMK and Puthiya Tamizhagam and then from Congress. Talks were held with these parties without any conditions and were only concerned with Rajya Sabha polls," he said.

Some always opposed to DMK had been making such charges that DMK was back with Congress and that it had washed its hands off the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, he said in a letter to his partymen.

Referring to attempts in Sri Lanka to review the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, part of a Rajiv Gandhi brokered pact of 1987 on devolution of powers to provinces, Karunanidhi said that his party still stood for its implementation.

"DMK insists the Centre to pressure Sri Lanka to implement it in toto. Therefore, Sri Lankan Tamils issue is different, Rajya Sabha is different and alliance is different. But some are attempting to mix all these and create confusion," he claimed.

The 90-year-old leader also said that Congress extending support to his daughter had not meant that DMK was back in the cabinet. Efforts were being made to malign his party concealing these, he charged.

DMK had severed its relationship with Congress after nine years in March this year on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue.