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Sunday, Oct 11, 2009
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MPs leave for Sri Lanka; to report to Chief Minister

Special Correspondent

— Photo: A. Muralitharan

ON A MISSION: T.R. Baalu, DMK MP, and Sudarsana Nachiappan and N.S.V. Chithan, Congress MPs, seen at the Chennai airport before leaving for Sri Lanka.

CHENNAI: The delegation of Members of Parliament from Tamil Nadu that left on a fact-finding mission to Sri Lanka on Saturday would submit a report to Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, DMK leader T.R. Baalu said on Saturday.

Mr. Baalu, who is leading the delegation, told reporters at the airport here that the Chief Minister would talk to the Union government on the basis of the report with regard to the further course of action. The trip was non-political and the delegation was attempting to understand and assess what kind of help the Tamils were looking for. “We plan to visit as many camps as possible,” Mr Baalu said.

Answering a question as to why no MP from the opposition parties were part of the delegation, Mr. Baalu said the Sri Lankan government had extended an invitation to the Chief Minister, who selected MPs from the DMK, the Congress and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK).

Kanimozhi, MP, said the objective of the mission was to collect first-hand information about the Tamils in the camps in Sri Lanka. The delegation would try to get justice for them. “Hope we can do something for them,” she added.

It gave him immense pleasure to be part of a delegation, said Thol. Thirumavalavan of the VCK. “This trip has given me an opportunity to meet my Tamil brethren and express my solidarity with them.”

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