Congress ministers on DMK, Sri Lanka: highlights

• DMK President M Karunanidhi wrote a letter to the Prime Minister. Three ministers then visited Chennai on March 18 to discuss contents of letter.
• The DMK urged the government to bring amendments to resolution draft and adopt a resolution in Parliament.
• Congress Core group met shortly thereafter (Sonia Gandhi's speech)  to discuss the Sri Lanka issue.
  
• It was decided to consult political parties on resolution. While that meeting was underway DMK announced pullout.
  
• Amendments to UN resolution have been finalized.
  
• India's envoy has been given instructions on what amendments to move.
  
• Canard that India diluted the resolution sponsored by the US.
  
• India's position has always been that UN should adopt a strong resolution to goad Sri Lanka to accept an independent investigation.
• Consultations continue on whether there should be a parliamentary resolution on Sri Lanka.

Kamal Nath

• Government is absolutely stable, not lame duck one.
  
• There is no threat to the government. We want to reiterate we are stable. nobody should doubt this.
• The numbers test is on the floor of the house and our numbers have not been challenged.
• Key question is, should we at all have a resolution? Then comes content of the resolution.
• Sharad Pawar has some views but he's told me he will go along with government.
• On Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party - have to engage with all, take their views, this is a fact of life. 
• No doors or windows are ever shut. That's parliamentary democracy.
• We are not worried that our image is getting affected because the DMK left. A government's image depends on its policies. 

P Chidambaram

• We haverun an alliance for nine years so obviously some talent available in the government t torun an alliance. 
• Tamil sentiments can be represented only through an appropriate resolution in Parliament.
  
• Discussions have not concluded whether we will have a resolution on Sri Lanka and what will be in in it.
  
• We are a government- we have a hand firmly on the wheel, we will continue to take decisions and we will continue to push legislation. Only yesterday, the Cabinet approved Food Security Bill - we are also taking executive actions.
• I don't see us any weaker today than we were yesterday. We have a majority in the house and no one has questioned our stability.
  

 Manish Tewari

• Have been successful for nine years in coalition government. Doors, windows always open (for more allies)

Kamal Nath

• No one has questioned our majority, we have a majority and we don't need to prove it since we have not been called upon.