New Delhi:
Putting further strain on the already fragile Congress-led UPA coalition at the Centre, DMK leader TKS Elangovan today said that he feels that the party should come out of it.
"There is a general feeling in the DMK to come out of UPA. The ultimatum has been given. Let us see how Congress reacts," the DMK leader said.
The senior southern partner of the coalition in the Centre has threatened to withdraw its five ministers this week from the Cabinet unless India asks the UN's top human rights body to hold Sri Lanka accountable for "genocide." Later this month, the UN's top human rights body will vote on a resolution by the US which criticises Sri Lanka for alleged human rights violations by its defence forces in the final phases of the civil war against the Tamil Tigers which ended in May 2009.
"Everytime we threatened to walk out our demands were met. This time, if these demands are not met, we have to think," Mr Elangovan said.
A trio of ministers - P Chidambaram, AK Antony and Ghulam Nabi Azad - met the DMK chief M Karunanidhi last evening but sources indicate that a compromise was not brokered and the DMK has threatened to pull its ministers from the government.
"Yesterday, we had discussions and we have placed our demands. We have our own agenda," added Mr Elangovan.
The DMK says it's not enough for India to vote against Sri Lanka in Geneva on March 22. It wants India to add strongly-worded amendments to the US resolution, asking for an international probe that must be completed within a fixed period on the island's "genocide."
Last month, Channel 4 from the UK released new photos which allegedly show the 12-year-old son of the chief of the rebel Tamil Tigers was shot in cold blood by the Sri Lankan army. Sri Lanka alleges that the photos are morphed.
Last year, India voted against Sri Lanka after the DMK threatened to quit the government. The resolution adopted then asked Sri Lanka to implement the recommendations of an internal commission.