MDMK withdraws support from UPA

New Delhi: MDMK on Friday broke its three year-old relationship with the UPA and withdrew support to the Manmohan Singh ministry.

MDMK has four MPs, of which two - L Ganesan and Gingee Ramachandran - have split and sought separate seats in the Lok Sabha, though not removed from MDMK.

The party, led by Vaiko, has two MPs in Dr C Krishnan and V Ravichandran now.

In a resolution adopted at the MDMK's regional conference, the party accused the UPA government of failing to implement majority of the schemes under the Common Minimum Programme.

The party said it had placed 17 demands, which were incorporated in the CMP, but none were implemented.

The demands included constitutional amendment for State Autonomy, linking of National and Peninsular rivers and to declare all languages in the 8th Schedule, including Tamil, as official language of the country.

The Centre has ‘failed’ to take any steps to solve Tamil Nadu farmers' problems, by linking rivers, particularly peninsular rivers, despite assuring that priority would be given to it, PTI quoted the resolution.

The UPA Government failed to prevent the "injustice" meted out to Tamil Nadu by neighbouring states on the vexatious Cauvery, Mullaperiyar and Palar river issues, it said.

The Centre's economic policy ‘favoured’ multinationals and monopoly traders, neglecting middle income and poor, the resolution said.

The Centre has failed to protect the lives of Tamil Nadu fishermen, who were being attacked and killed by Sri Lankan Navy in Indian territory, MDMK alleged.

The party accused the Congress and the Government for extending support to the "deeds of minority DMK Government in Tamil Nadu which is throwing democracy to the winds."

(With agency inputs)