Sri Lanka: Prabhakaran's" friend" Karunanidhi on indefinite fast

Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi, who went an a sudden indefinite fast on Monday morning demanding immediate ceasefire in Sri Lanka, called the hunger strike off at 12.30pm once the island government announced that combat operations have concluded.

"The fast has come to an end in view of the fact that the Sri Lankan government has announced an end to the war," said Karunanidhi reading from a statement from a bed at the fast site at the Anna memorial on the shores of Marina.

The 85-year-old leader called off the fast at 1230 hrs, six hours after he began it demanding an immediate end to the ongoing war in Sri Lanka where he said innocent Tamils were being killed.

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu chief minister and DMK chief M Karunanidhi launched an indefinite fast on Monday morning demanding immediate ceasefire in SriLanka.

He went to the memorial of C N Annadurai, his mentor, and paid floral tribute to the late leader before going on fast.

“This is my sacrifice for the Tamil cause,” the chief minister said. “Let me be another victim of Rajapaksa’s (Lanka president) genocide.”

Sitting on a wheel chair, Karunanidhi said he did not want DMK men to go on a fast. "It is my decision and I do not want others to join," he said even as a host of DMK leaders, including his daughter Kanimozhi and his grand nephew Kalanidhi Maran rushed to spot to see him. PTI reported.

LTTE offered a unilateral truce on Sunday which was summarily rejected by the Sri Lanka
government. LTTE's truce offer came on a day when the Lankan forces captured the strategic Vlayarmadam area and encircled the remaining 6 sq km strip of land where Prabhakaran and his top aides are believed to be holed up in. The LTTE said the "suffering inflicted on our people by the Sri Lankan armed forces in violation of all international humanitarian laws has now reached its peak".