Yechury disapproves of arrest

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, JULY 1. The CPI (M) politburo member, Mr. Sitaram Yechury, has disapproved of the way the DMK leader and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Mr. M. Karunanidhi, was arrested on Saturday.

Talking to presspersons here, Mr. Yechury said that while the law should take its own course in corruption cases, vendetta should be avoided. While there could be no criticism of proceeding against Mr. Karunanidhi for corruption, the manner in which it was done could not be supported, he said.

Mr. Yechury pointed out that a prima facie case existed against Mr. Karunanidhi and that was why the judge had remanded him to judicial custody. He tried to draw a parallel with the way cases were filed against Ms. Jayalalithaa by the DMK Government.

On the downslide of economy in Kerala - when the CPI (M)-led Left Democratic Front was in power - Mr. Yechury said the decline in revenue collection was on account of fall in the prices of cash crops.

Mr. Yechury did not agree that labour unrest had crippled industrial growth in the State. Kerala was one of the States with the least number of mandays lost on account of strikes and lockouts.

On the coming summit between the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, and the Pakistan President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, Mr. Yechury said the Centre should take the people of Kashmir into confidence. It was unfortunate that the BJP had gone in public opposing Article 370 of the Constitution and autonomy for Jammu and Kashmir. The talks should be on the basis of the Shimla Accord. In any talks involving Jammu and Kashmir, the issue of Pakistan occupied Kashmir should also be discussed.

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