Three DMK ministers quit; govt confident of numbers - Hindustan Times

Union ministers P Chidambaram, AK Antony and Ghulam Nabi Azad calling on DMK chief M Karunanidhi at his residence in Chennai. UNI photo The DMK will finalise its withdrawal from the UPA government when five ministers of the party submit their resignations on Wednesday. MK Alagiri, minister for chemicals and fertilisers, D Napoleon, minister of state for social justice and empowerment, S Jagathrakshakan, minister of state for information and broadcasting, S Gandhiselvan, minister of state for health and family welfare, and SS Palanimanickam, minister of state for finance, are resigning after their party chief M Karunanidhi announced on Tuesday he was pulling out of the UPA to protest India's stand on Sri Lanka at the UNHRC. Finance minister P Chidambaram told a press conference in New Delhi on Wednesday that the government is "not  aware" of the reason why the DMK chief changed his mind on supporting the government from the night of March 18 and the morning of March 19. Chidambaram said that there is no political uncertainty and that the government is confident of "enough support" in Parliament to pass economic reforms bills. Parliamentary affairs minister Kamal Nath told the same press conference that the government is stable. "We are a stable government--no political party has come out to challenge our majority. We are not a lame duck government," he said. "There is no political uncertainity or instability. I will continue to meet investors and ensure that investments continue to flow to India," said Chidambaram. Government denied that India is working wih the US to dilute UNHRC resolution on Sri Lanka and said that reports in this regard are a canard. India's position is that UNHRC should adopt a strong resolution on Sri Lanka and that Tamil sentiments can be represented only through an appropriate resolution in Parliament, Chidambaram said. "We intend to move amendments to the draft resolution on Sri Lanka in the UNHRC," Chidamabaram said. Chidambaram, defence minister AK Antony and health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had met Karunanidhi on Monday and seemingly had convinced him to stay with the government but on Tuesday morning he announced his decision to withdraw. Karunanidhi accuses both India and the UN of "betraying" the Sri Lankan Tamils. The DMK has 18 members in the Lok Sabha and six in the Rajya Sabha. The DMK's departure still leaves the Congress-led UPA with a simple majority in the 545-seat Lok Sabha but makes it more vulnerable vis-a-vis other allies and an aggressive opposition. (With PTI inputs) What the UNHRC resolution says | How should India vote at the UN over Sri Lanka 'human rights abuses'? via Top Stories - Google News http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNFtXzw1N9hRJtGHOOWpvh8RZgi71w&url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Three-DMK-ministers-quit-govt-confident-of-numbers/Article1-1029184.aspx

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