President accepts resignation of five DMK ministers

President Pranab Mukherjee, as advised by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, has accepted the resignation of five DMK ministers, a statement released here Thursday said.

The five union ministers resigned following the DMK's exit from the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA), dissatisfied with the centre's stand on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue.

The ministers are: M.K. Alagiri (chemicals and fertilizers), S.S. Palanimanickam (minister of state for finance), S. Gandhiselvan (minister of state for health and family welfare), S. Jagathrakshakan (minister of state for commerce and industry) and D. Napoleon (minister of state for social justice and empowerment).

According to the statement, Srikant Jena would get independent charge of the ministry of chemicals and fertilizers as minister of state in addition to the independent charge of the ministry of statistics and programme implementation, also as minister of state.