Pranab Mukherjee accepts resignation of DMK ministers

New Delhi, Mar. 21 : President Pranab Mukherjee has accepted the resignation of the five members of the Union Council of Ministers belonging to the DMK with immediate effect.

DMK leaders M.K. Alagiri, S.S. Palanimanickam, S. Gandhiselvan, S. Jagathrakshakan and D. Nepoleon had submitted their resignations to Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh after their party pulled out of the UPA government.

A Rashtrapati Bhavan statement said, as advised by the Prime Minister of India, the President has directed that Srikant Jena shall be given Independent Charge of the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers as Minister of State, in addition to Independent Charge of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation as Minister of State.

The DMK on Tuesday withdrew its support to the UPA over the issue of alleged human rights violations of Sri Lankan Tamils, and ruled out any reconsideration.

A five-member DMK delegation headed by T.R. Baalu handed over a letter by party supremo M. Karunanidhi to Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan withdrawing support of its 18 Lok Sabha MPs to the UPA government.

This move of the DMK has made the UPA Government vulnerable despite its assertions of having a parliamentary majority. The ruling coalition will now eye for support from the regional parties, which includes the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Samajwadi Party.

With the pullout of the 18 DMK MPs in the Lok Sabha, the strength of the UPA Government declines from 295 to 277 in the Rajya Sabha.