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Media played up Czech-model suggestion: Karunanidhi

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M Karunanidhi on Thursday accused the media of selectively reporting his suggestion for a Czechoslovakia-style solution to the Sri Lankan crisis. He reiterated his suggestion of devolving equal rights to Tamils and Sinhalese to solve the ethnic crisis in Sri Lanka.

At Madurai airport, on his arrival from Chennai, he said his suggestion of a Czechoslovakia-style solution for the crisis had been given undue publicity.

Recalling his remarks at the June 3 public meeting at Madras, Karunanidhi said he had made two suggestions: The Lankan government should give equal powers to the Tamils and the Sinhalese to enable a permanent solution to the crisis, and he advocated the Czech-model of territorial separation.

"Instead of reporting my first suggestion, the media gave undue publicity to the second. I am not responsible for such things," he added.

On the Lankan government's decision to constitute a 15-member committee for devolution of powers, he hoped that the committee would recommend equal rights to both the Tamils and the Sinhalese.

On India's offer of a $100 million credit facility to Sri Lanka, Karunanidhi said Prime Minister A B Vajpayee, during his meeting with MDMK General Secretary Vaiko, had assured that the Lankan government would use the money to purchase food materials and not weapons.

He wanted the Indian Navy to take care of refugees coming via Rameswaram coast and had written to the prime minister in this regard.

UNI

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