BJP demands President's rule in T.N.

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, JULY 1. The BJP State unit on Sunday demanded the imposition of President's rule in Tamil Nadu where, according to it, the Government had tried to turn that State into a ``police raj.''

Welcoming the decision of the Centre to recall the Tamil Nadu Governor, Ms. Fathima Beevi, Mr. Aravind Limbavali, BJP General Secretary, described the arrest of the DMK President and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Mr. M.Karunanidhi, two Union ministers, Mr. Murasoli Maran and Mr. T.R.Baalu, and that of 24,000 people all over Tamil Nadu as ``murder of democracy and uncivilised.''

In Bellary, Mr. B.S.Yediyurappa, MLC and BJP leader, said the developments in Tamil Nadu had evoked memories of Emergency. He said the manner in which the two Union Ministers were arrested would not be approved by the people.

In Bidar, the BJP Yuva Morcha workers burnt an effigy of Ms. Jayalalithaa in protest against the arrest of Mr. Karunanidhi. They condemned the ``vindictive action'' taken by her.

Nearly 500 workers of the DMK took out a procession in Kolar and urged the Centre to dismiss the Jayalalithaa Government and impose President's rule in Tamil Nadu.

Voicing a similar demand, the State BJP Mahila Morcha and the DMK State unit held a demonstration near the Mahatma Gandhi statue here to protest against the arrest of Mr. Karunanidhi, Mr. Maran and Mr. Baalu. The participants shouted anti-Jayalalithaa slogans and demanded the dismissal of her government.

Ms. Vimala Gowda, MLC and State BJP Mahila Morcha President, said that she had sent a telegram to the Prime Minister, Mr. A.B.Vajpayee, to dismiss the Jayalalithaa Government.

There were dramatic scenes during the protest when Mr. P.Muthaiah, DMK worker from Rajajinagar, poured kerosene on himself in an attempt at self-immolation to protest against the arrest of Mr. Karunanidhi. The police intervened and whisked him away. Barring this protest, Bangalore and its suburbs remained peaceful.

Police have been placed on alert and security has been beefed up in areas where the Tamil-speaking people are predominant in Bangalore.

No buses to T.N.

For the second day, the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and the Tamil Nadu Government buses did not operate from Bangalore to Chennai and other places in Tamil Nadu.

A KSRTC official said bus services to Tamil Nadu had been suspended temporarily in view of the tense situation prevailing in that State. The bus services would be restored soon after normalcy returns.

A majority of private bus operators also suspended or delayed their trips to Chennai and other places in Tamil Nadu. Many passengers had to make their own arrangements to travel to Tamil Nadu. The KSRTC and the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) buses plied till Bommasandra on Hosur Road. Vehicular traffic on Hosur Road and Old Madras Road remained thin.

The KSRTC suspended operations from Bangalore to destinations in Tamil Nadu from 11.30 a.m. While buses towards Chennai and Vellore were operated in the morning, bus services to Ooty and Coimbatore were suspended. A KSRTC official said a decision to resume bus services would be taken after a report was received on the situation in Tamil Nadu.

He said the number of passengers inconvenienced was small as the corporation operated only a few services during day. A majority of the corporation's services to in Tamil Nadu was in the evening and at night. The train and air services were not affected.

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Section  : Southern States
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