External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Monday got an assurance from the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) party chief M Karunanidhi that he "would not precipitate" a crisis in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government over the Sri Lankan ethnic Tamils issue.

Mukherjee, after a nearly one and a half hour meeting with Karunanidhi at his residence in Chennai, told reporters, "Based on my request to the Chief Minister, he said he will not precipitate any problem in the UPA." Karunanidhi later confirmed Mukherjee’s statement.

Mukherjee told reporters that Karunanidhi had also emphasised the need to ensure a ceasefire, but ruled out a direct role for India.

He said, "We were never part of the ceasefire (initiated by Norway) nor did we break it. So we cannot restore it."

DMK’s assurance comes three days before Karunanidhi''s ultimatum to the centre to ensure a ceasefire in Sri Lanka will end, the failure of which would have resulted in MPs from Tamil Nadu resigning.

Meanwhile, the Government of India is sending 800 tonnes of relief material for "internally-displaced" ethnic Tamils in Sri Lanka.