The Congress-led UPA government is stable and enjoys majority support in parliament despite the DMK withdrawing its support in protest against the government’s position on a United Nations resolution on Sri Lanka, India’s Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said Tuesday.

“The government is stable, the government enjoys majority in the Lok Sabha,” he told the media in New Delhi after DMK chief M. Karunanidhi announced his party was pulling out of the UPA over the Sri Lanka issue.

“The government is stable and will continue,” he added.

Chidambaram said there is absolutely no crisis and that the consultation process with other parties in the alliance has begun to find a resolution to the problem.

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) is based in Tamil Nadu, and has often pressured the government to do more to protect Sri Lanka’s minority Tamil population.

It wants the Indian government to introduce stronger language into the resolution, including the use of the word “genocide”.

The DMK, after quitting the government, has also ruled out extending outside legislative support to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA).

However, Karunanidhi said that the DMK was ready to reconsider its decision if the Indian Parliament adopts resolution before March 21.

If a resolution was introduced in parliament accusing Sri Lanka of committing ‘genocide’ of Tamils, ‘we are ready to change our view’, the DMK leader said.

Speaking to media after DMK withdrew its support to the UPA, Congress President Sonia Gandhi said, “I have nothing to say now.”

Sonia Gandhi said, “We demand an independent and credible inquiry into the violation of human rights in Sri Lanka.”

Subramaniam Swamy has however rubbished the DMK pullout saying if the party was indeed serious, why didn’t they write to the President. 

The Indian government needs support from all parties if the resolution against Sri Lanka has to be passed on Friday. It may therefore call an all-party meet to decide the next step.

- Agencies