New Delhi:
Union Minister V Narayanasamy today assured the DMK, which has threatened to pull out of the Manmohan Singh Cabinet, that India's stand on a US resolution against Sri Lanka would take note of the emotions of the people of Tamil Nadu.
"The issue is very emotive and sensitive for the people and political parties of Tamil Nadu. The DMK and its leader M Karunanidhi have mentioned the sentiments on that," Mr Narayanasamy said, adding that the Prime Minister would "definitely consider all these aspects" before taking a decision on the resolution.
He said the Prime Minister has informed Parliament that the government is committed to the protection of Sri Lankan Tamils.
DMK chief Karunanidhi had yesterday warned that his party could pull out of the Union Cabinet if India failed to bring in amendments in a US-sponsored resolution against Colombo at a session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) later this month.
"The DMK will find it meaningless to continue in the Manmohan Singh-led Cabinet if our demand is not obliged to," said Mr Karunanidhi, whose party has 18 MPs and is the second biggest constituent of the Congress-led UPA.
Mr Karunanidhi has been demanding that New Delhi should vote against Colombo at the UNHRC. The US-sponsored motion puts the island nation in the dock over alleged war crimes and rights violations against Tamil civilians during the final phase of the war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
The DMK chief wants the Centre to make amendments in the US resolution in a manner that "those responsible for genocide are identified and an independent international probe is launched against the war criminals within a specified time frame".
With 18 MPs, the DMK is the second biggest constituent of the Congress-led UPA.
The government has been non-committal over its stand and maintains that it will decide its position based on the wording of the resolution.