The Hindu : Face-to-face in House after 13 years

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 10, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Face-to-face in House after 13 years

By Suresh Nambath

CHENNAI March 9. For the first time in nearly 13 years, the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, today came face-to-face with the DMK president, M. Karunanidhi, in the Assembly.

After the March 25, 1989 violent incidents during the tenure of Mr. Karunanidhi, when Ms. Jayalalithaa vowed she would never return to the House except as Chief Minister, the two have never crossed each other's path.

In 1991, he resigned his Assembly seat after his party suffered a debacle. In 1996, she lost her Bargur seat. After he won from Chepauk in 2001, this is the first time that Mr. Karunanidhi is stepping into the House after the election.

Ms. Jayalalithaa entered the House before Mr. Karunanidhi. The ruling party members, as also the PMK dissident, Sivakami Vincent, were on their feet to greet her. When she took her seat, there was a loud and prolonged thumping of desks. She immediately got up again and greeted the House. She also exchanged greetings with the Leader of the Opposition, K. Anbazhagan.

Soon thereafter, Mr. Karunanidhi also walked in. The DMK members, not to be outdone, cheered him to his seat. He greeted the treasury benches, but there was no acknowledgment. Earlier, when Mr. Anbazhagan entered the House, the PWD Minister, O. Paneerselvam, stood up to greet him. Taking the cue, several ruling party members did the same.

When the Governor, P. S. Ramamohan Rao, was about to begin his address, Mr. Anbazhagan read out his party's list of complaints against the Government. Even as the Governor looked on perplexed, and the treasury benches watched in anxious silence, Mr. Anbazhagan led his partymen in a protest walk-out.

At the end of the sitting, Ms. Jayalalithaa blamed Mr. Karunanidhi for the walk-out episode. ``Mr.Karunanidhi could not bear to see me seated in the Chief Ministerial chair for more than a minute. Hence, in total contravention of the Assembly rules and conventions, Mr.Anbazhagan, instigated by Mr.Karunanidhi, read out a statement during the Governor's address and led a walk-out,'' she said.

Mr. Karunanidhi attended the Assembly only to evade a possible action by the Speaker, K. Kalimuthu, who had warned that appropriate steps would be taken if he did not participate in the proceedings, she added. (Mr. Karunanidhi faced the prospect of losing his seat if he did not make an appearance in the Assembly or signed the attendance register kept in the lobby).

Mr. Karunanidhi need have no `fear or apprehensions' in attending the Assembly. ``Nothing will happen to him,'' she said.

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