Stop treating Lanka as a friend: Jayalalithaa

TN House: Seeks referendum on Tamil Eelam,economic embargo

Stepping up pressure on the UPA government at the Centre,the Tamil Nadu assembly on Wednesday adopted a resolution asking India to move the United Nations Security Council for a referendum on a separate homeland for Tamils in Sri Lanka,and an economic embargo on Colombo.

Urging the Centre to stop treating Sri Lanka as a friendly nation,the resolution asked New Delhi to move the UNSC seeking a series of stringent measures against the government there,including a referendum on Tamil Eelam,investigations into genocide and war crimes,and an economic embargo.

An economic sanction should be imposed on the country till atrocities against Tamils are stopped. Keeping in mind the welfare of the Sri Lankan Tamils in the coming days,a referendum should be held among the Tamils in Lanka and those settled abroad, said the resolution.

This comes a day after Chief Minister J Jayalalithaas victory on the IPL issue,with Sri Lankan cricketers now set to skip Chennai matches.

The resolution moved in the assembly by Jaya Wednesday was adopted unanimously through voice vote. However,many of the opposition MLAs were missing.

Jaya also used the opportunity to criticise DMK president M Karunanidhi for his alleged duplicity on the issue,which led to angry protests by DMK MLAs who were evicted from the House before voting. The DMDK is boycotting the session after six of their MLAs were suspended for six months.