From correspondents in Tamil Nadu, India, 04:32 PM IST

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi Tuesday sent a telegram to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi appealing to them to ask Sri Lanka to order an immediate ceasefire.

'The Indian government should ask the Sri Lankan government to order an immediate ceasefire and thereby save the lives of thousands of innocent Tamils,' the telegram said, according to a DMK statement.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)