Gowda questions Maran's behaviour

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, JULY 2. The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Mr. Jayalalithaa, received some support from the former Prime Minister, Mr. H.D.Deve Gowda, who blamed the Union Industry Minister, Mr. Murasoli Maran, for the fracas with the police at the time of the arrest of the DMK leader, Mr. M.Karunanidhi.

Speaking to presspersons today, Mr. Deve Gowda criticised the recall of the former Tamil Nadu Governor, Ms. Fatima Beevi, leading to her resignation and also opposed any move to impose President's rule on that State.

Mr. Deve Gowda, who based his observations on the footage in a television channel, said that everything was in order at the residence of Mr. Karunanidhi till the time Mr. Maran arrived on the scene. Mr. Karunanidhi was shown smiling. Mr. Maran gatecrashed into the residence in a car and as soon he entered, he was shown poking at a police officer. The television visuals showed that trouble erupted after that.

Mr. Deve Gowda said that it was improper on the part of Mr. Maran to have behaved in that manner. He was a senior politician and was a close relative of Mr. Karunanidhi. He should have exercised restraint although there was reason for his high dudgeon. The Prime Minister, Mr. A.B.Vajpayee, should take note of his behaviour and the way he ``beat up'' a police officer. Such a behaviour on the part of a Union Minister was without parallel.

Code of conduct

The former Prime Minister called for a code of conduct to be observed by Union Ministers. The former West Bengal Chief Minister, Mr. Jyoti Basu, had advocated it after Ms. Mamata Banerjee, who was a Union Minister, had to be taken into custody following violence in Kolkota.

Only the President enjoyed immunity from arrest, and it was not enjoyed even by the Prime Minister, Mr. Gowda said. He did not give a direct reply when questioned what would be the consequences if a State Government arrested the Prime Minister himself.

Mr. Gowda deplored the politics of vengeance in the country's political life and was of the view that it started in 1996. Tamil Nadu and Bihar had become notorious for it. About the arrest of Mr. Karunanidhi in the dead of night, he said that it was a matter of debate.

Going to the defence of Ms. Jayalalithaa, Mr. Gowda spoke of the way she was arrested and treated in jail when Mr. Karunanidhi held office. She was forced to use an aluminium plate and a tumbler. He also revealed that when he was Prime Minister in 1996 and the DMK was a partner of his coalition, Mr. Karunanidhi and Mr. Maran had pressured him to arrest Ms. Jayalalithaa on the basis of the filing of an FIR. He had resisted it, he said.

`Warning' to governors

Criticising the treatment meted out to Ms. Fatima Beevi, Mr. Gowda said that it was a warning to all governors that they should toe the line of the NDA Government or face dismissal. The Government had already set a record by maltreating governors.

The former Nagaland Governor, Mr. M.M.Jacob, was removed from office as was the former Bihar Governor, Dr. A.R.Kidwai. Even the BJP leader and former Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Mr. Suraj Bhan, was transferred for speaking up in support of dalits, he added.

To a question on imposition of President's rule in Tamil Nadu, Mr. Gowda shot back and said that it was not warranted. Law and order were under control in that State.

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Section  : Southern States
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