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Withdraw cases against Opposition leaders: BJP

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI AUG. 21. The BJP today urged the State Government to withdraw cases, filed under the Tamil Nadu Essential Services Maintenance Act, against the DMK president, M. Karunanidhi, and three other Opposition leaders, on the charge of having incited government employees to go on strike.

L. Ganesan, national secretary, told presspersons here that "the slapping of the cases, (which was announced on Independence Day), sounds like insulting democracy".

On the DMK's opposition to the anti-cow slaughter Bill (the introduction of which has since been deferred), Mr. Ganesan said he did not want speculate whether the party would support the legislation when it was put to vote. "Let us wait and watch." However, he pointed out that it was the Union Cabinet which cleared the Bill in Parliament and the DMK was very much part of the Cabinet. Though he did not know whether the DMK's representative attended the Cabinet meeting, which decided to table the legislation, the concept of collective responsibility was applicable to all Cabinet members.

Referring to the Union Minister, Sushma Swaraj, and the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, attending a function together in New Delhi on Wednesday to mark the 59th birth anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi, Mr. Ganesan said they took part in an intense discussion on the no-confidence motion only the previous day when they stood on opposite sides. "Our party's desire is that such a political culture should take root in Tamil Nadu also".

On August 25, a public meeting would be organised at Saidapet here to mark the culmination of the `yatra', undertaken by the State unit president, C.P. Radhakrishnan. The national president, M. Venkaiah Naidu, would address the meeting.

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