Congress faces Crisis as Maniyan resigns in Tamil Nadu

By Sam Rajappa – TNS

CHENNAI – Irked over an alleged eerie silence maintained by AICC President Sonia Gandhi on the Eelam Tamils issue, a senior Congress leader and General Secretary of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) Tamilaruvi Manian resigned from the post and primary membership of the party.

He alleged that those at the helm of party affairs do not have a clear insight into the “livelihood problems and rights of Tamil people in the state or elsewhere”. His resignation from the party also to protest what he termed was India's “supportive role” to Sri Lanka.

Ms Gandhi was yet to break her silence over the alleged genocide of innocent Tamils by the Rajapakse government in Srilanka. “My heart doesn't like to pledge language, Community to the party headed by Ms Gandhi,” he said.

“As such, my conscience does not permit me to pledge my racial and linguistic (Tamil) identities,” Manian told reporters. He said he was resigning “to work for the Tamil race”.

“There is no heart to heart link with party workers and this may lead to the death of the party,” he further added.

“If the forty MPs representing the state stand united, they would have pressurised the Centre to interfere into the Srilankan Tamils issue,” he added. He said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi should undertake the leadership

Feeling the pressure in Tamil Nadu, Congress president, Ms Gandhi  personally stepped in to issue special instructions to the party units in the southern states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh to mobilise maximum relief materials for the suffering Tamils in Sri Lanka.

The ongoing offensive launched by the Lankan army against the Tamils has snowballed into an explosive political issue, set to dominate the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

With emotions running high and AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa upping the ante, the DMK along with MDMK and PMK have been raising the issue of the protection of civilians in Sri Lanka.