New Delhi, March 19 (IANS) Both houses of parliament were adjourned till 2 p.m. Tuesday as DMK and AIADMK members vocally raised the plight of Sri Lankan Tamils.
Both DMK and AIADMK members gathered near the speakers in both houses demanding that steps be taken to amend the US resolution on Sri Lanka at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
They wanted the resolution to declare that “genocide” and “war crimes” were committed on Tamils by the Sri Lankan army and sought an independent international investigation into the alleged atrocities.
The Lok Sabha was adjourned over the issue till noon and later till 2 after the AIDMK and DMK members raised the issue.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath said the government was ready for a debate.
A heated exchange took place between treasury and opposition benches as Bharatiya Janata Party’s Yashwant Sinha and Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Bandopadyay sought a clarification from the government on reports about DMK’s exit from the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA).
“We want to know if the government is in a minority,” asked Sinha, inviting strong reactions from Congress members.
Speaker Meira Kumar said she had allowed only AIADMK and DMK to speak on the Tamil issue. As the din continued, she adjourned the house till 2.
The upper house was first adjourned for 15 minutes, and then till noon and 2 as several members joined the DMK and AIADMK in their protest.
Sri Lanka is under attack over the death of a large number of Tamil civilians during the final stages of the war that crushed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in 2009.
