PMK is part of NDA, says Jana Krishnamurthy

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, AUG. 7. Amid contradictory statements on the status of the PMK in the NDA, the BJP president, Mr. Jana Krishnamurthy, today clarified that the PMK was now a constituent of the NDA at the Centre.

``The PMK representatives attended the NDA meeting in Delhi last week. This shows they are part of the NDA,'' the BJP leader told the media here.

While the senior BJP leader and Union Minister, Mr. M. Venkaiah Naidu recently said that the PMK was in the ``process'' of being admitted into the NDA, Mr. Krishnamurthy insisted that the party was already an NDA partner.

As for his recent call for evolving ``certain norms'' for fresh additions to the NDA, he said his view was that entry into the NDA should not mean ``automatic entry'' into the Government at the Centre as well.

``Some norms are needed for admitting and readmitting parties into the NDA''. And, in future, new parties would be admitted only on the basis of the ``norms'' to be formulated by the sub- committee headed by the NDA convenor, Mr. George Fernandes, he said.

However, inducting any new entrant into the NDA Ministry was the prerogative of the Prime Minister, Mr. A. B. Vajpayee, the BJP leader said.

On whether the PMK would be admitted to the DMK-led NDA in Tamil Nadu, Mr. Krishnamurthy said, it was for the DMK president, Mr. M. Karunanidhi to decide. However, NDA as such existed only at the Centre. In 1999 Parliamentary election, it approached the electorate with a pre- determined agenda. ``There is no NDA as such in the States. Allies, for electoral convenience, may call it NDA. But the norms of the NDA at the Centre do not govern the State-level NDA,'' he elaborated.

On the Centre transferring three IPS officers from Tamil Nadu, the BJP leader hoped that the Tamil Nadu Government would create a situation that might even remotely appear to be confronting the Centre.

The NDA Government was taking ``extracare'' to ensure ``excellent'' Centre-State relations and did not discriminate against any State Government. ``States should understand they have a healthy role to play''.

Reacting to the AIADMK general secretary and Chief Minister, Ms. Jayalalithaa's charge that the transfers were politically motivated, he said, ``whether the transfers or rejection of transfers are politically motivated will be decided by the people''. The State Government should adhere to rules on the issue, he added.

`Enforce norms'

Our Dindigul Staff Reporter writes:

The State BJP leader, Mr. K. N. Lakshmanan, MLA suggested that the norms or guidelines to be adopted while inducting the PMK into NDA in the state, should also be extended to the MDMK, if it was willing to come back to the fold.

Talking to reporters in Dindigul today, he said the PMK entry issue at the state level would be resolved by the DMK president, Mr. M. Karunanidhi.

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