The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Deploy Central forces on bandh day: BJP

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Sep 27, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Deploy Central forces on bandh day: BJP

Special Correspondent

— Photo: M. Vedhan

IN DISCUSSION: BJP national president Rajnath Singh with senior leader M. Venkaiah Naidu (centre) and BJP State president L. Ganesan, after paying homage to former BJP president K. Jana Krishnamurthy at his house in Chennai on Wednesday.

CHENNAI: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday demanded deployment of Central forces in Tamil Nadu on October 1, when the Democratic Progressive Alliance has called for a bandh on the Sethusamudram project issue.

BJP president Rajnath Singh, after inspecting the damaged portion of the party’s State headquarters in Chennai along with senior leader M. Venkaiah Naidu and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, told reporters that the Centre should deploy its forces to protect public and private property and ensure the security of the workers of the BJP and other political opponents of the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.

Mr. Naidu wondered about the need for a bandh when no party was opposed to the project per se. “What for is this bandh? To influence whom?”

Only realignment sought

Repeating his party’s position that the BJP was not against the project, Mr. Singh maintained that his party was only seeking realignment of the channel so that the Ramar Sethu was not destroyed.

Criticising Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi for his remarks on Lord Rama, the BJP president said this was a “clear case of blasphemy.” Freedom of expression did not permit anyone to indulge in blasphemy. The Chief Minister’s observations had offended the sentiments of millions of Hindus.

Recalling that 20 years ago, the Congress government at the Centre had banned Salman Rushdie’s Satanic Verses, Mr. Singh called upon Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to urge Mr. Karunanidhi to withdraw the remarks and apologise to the nation. Otherwise, DMK Ministers in the Union Cabinet should be sacked.

Poser to Congress

Asking the Congress to spell out its stand on Mr. Karunanidhi’s statement, Mr Naidu wanted to know whether the party subscribed to the DMK chief’s remarks.

He said the BJP would not be cowed down by threats from any quarters and would continue to play its political and ideological roles.

Mr. Singh expressed solidarity with the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary Jayalalithaa on her stand on the Ramar Sethu. As for Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Ram Vilas Vedanti’s remarks against Mr. Karunanidhi, he said the BJP had disapproved it.

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