Cong will not support separate Tamil Eelam: PC

Making it clear the Congress will not support a separate ‘Tamil Eelam’ in Sri Lanka, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram has said India is inside a ‘Neruppu Valayam’ (Ring of Fire) for voting against Sri Lanka on a resolution on alleged war crimes at the United Nations Human Rights Council. Addressing party’s offi ce bearers meeting held at Devakottai, here, last night, he said India was among 24 countries which voted in support of the resolution while our neighbours China, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Maldives, Bangladesh and Indonesia were among 15 nations that voted against it. India had carefully taken its stand after its ‘signifi - cant’ amendments to protect Lanka’s sovereignty were accepted. ‘We appealed to both Srilankan Government and Tamil rebels to keep restrain during the fi nal stage of civil war. ‘Congress was very fi rm that human rights should not be violated. ‘We should not forget that India is inside a ring of fi re for supporting the resolution,’ he said. He recalled the AIADMK, in its election manifesto during the last Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections, promised to solve the power crisis in the State. ‘The power crisis in Tamil Nadu cannot be totally solved. In fact, it would increase and not decrease. ‘You (people) are witnessing power crisis in March and going to see it in the coming April and May months. ‘The AIADMK Government is facing several trials. Of them, the major one is power crisis. ‘I have warned several times then DMK regime headed by Mr Karunanidhi to take suitable steps to sugment power generation as it would reach unmanageable proportion in the future. ‘I also cited to him that many power projects were not implemented, which would have adverse impact on the power requirement of the State,’ he said. Stating Koodankulam nuclear plant is one of the safest nuclear plants in the world, he said though the government and nuclear experts clarifi ed the fears raised by the protesters, they were continuing the struggle.