Govt to consider proposal on citizenship to SL Tamil refugees

Chennai, Oct 3 (PTI) Union Home Minister P Chidambaram
Saturday said the Centre would consider a proposal by Tamil
Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi to grant Indian citizenship
to Sri Lankan Tamil refugees living in the state.

"We have received a letter (from the state government) in
this regard and the Centre would look into it," Chidambaram
told reporters here in the southern state after meeting
Karunanidhi.

Ruling DMK, in a resolution passed on September 26 -- the
centenary celebrations of former Chief Minister C N Annadurai,
had asked Karunanidhi to persuade the Centre to grant
citizenship and to rehabilitate over one lakh Tamil Lankan
refugees in Tamil Nadu.

On the Sri Lankan Tamils living in refugee camps in the
Island nation, Chidambaram said the matter would be considered
after holding talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and
External Affairs Minister S M Krishna.

To a query on sending a team of Indian MPs to the Island
nation to assess the situation there, he said it was also
under consideration of the Centre. PTI