Congress ministers on DMK, Sri Lanka: highlights

New Delhi: Congress ministers Kamal Nath, P Chidambaram and Manish Tewari held a press conference today to explain the government's stand  on the UN resolution against Sri Lanka and the withdrawal of the DMK from the government. 

Here are the highlights of what they said.

P Chidambaram

• DMK President M Karunanidhi wrote a letter to the Prime Minister. Three ministers then visited Chennai on March 18 to discuss contents of letter.
• The DMK urged the government to bring amendments to resolution draft and adopt a resolution in Parliament.
• Congress Core group met shortly thereafter (Sonia Gandhi's speech)  to discuss the Sri Lanka issue.
  
• It was decided to consult political parties on resolution. While that meeting was underway DMK announced pullout.
  
• Amendments to UN resolution have been finalized.
  
• India's envoy has been given instructions on what amendments to move.
  
• Canard that India diluted the resolution sponsored by the US.
  
• India's position has always been that UN should adopt a strong resolution to goad Sri Lanka to accept an independent investigation.
• Consultations continue on whether there should be a parliamentary resolution on Sri Lanka.

Kamal Nath

• Government is absolutely stable, not lame duck one.
  
• There is no threat to the government. We want to reiterate we are stable. nobody should doubt this.
• The numbers test is on the floor of the house and our numbers have not been challenged.
• Key question is, should we at all have a resolution? Then comes content of the resolution.
• Sharad Pawar has some views but he's told me he will go along with government.
• On Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party - have to engage with all, take their views, this is a fact of life. 
• No doors or windows are ever shut. That's parliamentary democracy.
• We are not worried that our image is getting affected because the DMK left. A government's image depends on its policies. 

P Chidambaram

• We haverun an alliance for nine years so obviously some talent available in the government t torun an alliance. 
• Tamil sentiments can be represented only through an appropriate resolution in Parliament.
  
• Discussions have not concluded whether we will have a resolution on Sri Lanka and what will be in in it.
  
• We are a government- we have a hand firmly on the wheel, we will continue to take decisions and we will continue to push legislation. Only yesterday, the Cabinet approved Food Security Bill - we are also taking executive actions.
• I don't see us any weaker today than we were yesterday. We have a majority in the house and no one has questioned our stability.
  

 Manish Tewari

• Have been successful for nine years in coalition government. Doors, windows always open (for more allies)

Kamal Nath

• No one has questioned our majority, we have a majority and we don't need to prove it since we have not been called upon.
  

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