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NT Bureau
Chennai, Apr 23:

        The emotional and contentious Sri Lankan issue and the reported weapons supply by the Indian government to the Lankan Army had the PMK in, er, up in arms, as it clashed with the Congress on the floor of the House today.

        It all started with PMK Legislative Party Leader G K Mani moving a special call attention motion on the issue during the zero hour. Mani said the Central government was backtracking from its earlier assurance that weapons would not be supplied to Lankan Army as it would be used against Tamils. He said the Lankan Army has been killing innocent Tamils by targetting public places.

        The PMK leader pointed out that the call given by United Nation Secretary General, European Union and the Pope to the Lankan government to stop fighting and continue peace talks had gone unheeded. In this backdrop, he said the State government should pass a resolution in the House urging the Centre to stop weapon supply.

        Taking a dig at the PMK, Congress Legislative Party Leader D Sudharsanam said that it is laughable to raise the issue here instead of raising it at Centre. He said the PMK is a part of the UPA at the Centre. 'It has a Cabinet-ranking Minister, who could raise the issue at the Cabinet meetings. Moreover, the Central government had various agreements with all the neighbouring countries. Since this issue is between two countries, it could be raised only at the Centre.'

        G K Mani clarified that the PMK had taken up the issue at various levels including during Cabinet meetings, and with Prime Minister Manmohan Sigh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

        CPI Legislative Party Leader Y Sivapunniyam said that the stand taken by the Central government on the Lankan Tamils issue was not proper. The government had the responsibility to find a lasting solution to the ethnic issue.

        Congress members were on their feet opposing Sivapunniyam's remark. However, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi intervened and said the issue was raised based on the media reports and the authenticity of the report should be verified. 'If it is true, the State government was ready to strongly request the Centre not to continue the weapon supply.'

        'We have every right, duty and responsibility to ask the Centre to stop the supply of weapons to Lankan Army which would be used against the Tamils,' Karunanidhi said.

        Earlier, the Chief Minister announced that the government would examine the means to provide monthly assistance to fishermen families who had gone missing in the seas. He said this while replying to a call attention motion on the plight of twelve fishermen from Kanyakumari who were missing since 6 March, 2007. He said that the government had already provided Rs 10,000 as interim relief.