Chennai: Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on 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 after meeting Karunanidhi.
Ruling DMK, in a resolution passed on September 26 – the centenary celebrations of former Chief Minister CN 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 SM 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.
Bureau Report
