Indian central government Home Minister P Chidambaram on Thursday said both the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE were refusing to heed India's call to end hostilities, but he faulted Colombo more for preferring a military solution rather than negotiations.

Speaking to reporters after filing his nomination for Sivaganga constituency, he said India had been continuously asking Lanka to stop hostilities. "Both the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE are refusing to pay heed to our demand, but I think that the Sri Lankan government, which seems to think that there is only a military solution to the problem, is more at fault," he said. The Sri Lankan government had to realise that a solution could be arrived at only through negotiations, the Union home minister said.

On being asked if the Indian government would snap diplomatic ties with Sri Lanka, he said it was a serious issue that could not be discussed at a press meet. Answering a question about parties in Tamil Nadu seeking to make the Lankan issue their election plank, Chidambaram said it was a serious humanitarian issue and the state and Union governments were concerned for the Tamils there. No political party could score any point on this issue, because successive governments since 1983 had taken the same stand without any deviation of policy, he said.

Chidambaram is the first Cabinet Minister of India to ask LTTE to lay down arms.

His statement comes amid reports on Tamil Nadu Film Industry staging protest against Congress led Central Government for its support to Sri Lanka to wage the war on Tamils. Rajini Kanth and many film personalities have vowed to campaign against Congress in Tamil Nadu.

Tamil National Reporter predicts more interesting politicking in Tamil Nadu as election nears.