TRC to form an alternative to Dravidian parties

By Our Special Correspondent

SALEM, JULY 22. The Tamilaga Rajiv Congress president, Mr. Vazhapadi Ramamurthy, told presspersons here today that he would take an initiative to form an alternative to the Dravidian parties, bringing national parties in the State together.

Since the national parties including the Communists in the State have been disparate, a situation has arisen in which the AIADMK and the DMK could alternately come to power. During the last Assembly elections, there was a resentment among them over seat- sharing arrangement, which they could not openly discuss. Therefore, there was a compulsion now to bring these parties on a single platform, Mr. Ramamurthy said.

When his reaction was sought to the NSG cover provided to the former Chief Minister and DMK president, Mr. M. Karunanidhi, the TRC leader said that of late, the `black cat' security had become a status symbol. The Chief Minister, Ms. Jayalalitha, was in the `Z-plus category'', because she was facing a threat from the LTTE. He said he himself fell into the `Z category'. But Mr. Karunanidhi was a `close friend of the LTTE' and so, why he was given the NSG cover was not known.

On the demand for invoking Article 356 against the State Government, Mr. Ramamurthy said when Karunanidhi Government was dismissed twice - once by Indira Gandhi and next by Mr. Chandra Shekhar - under that article, the DMK strongly opposed it. When the Centre tried to dislodge the Rabri Devi Government in Bihar, Mr. Karunanidhi stoutly opposed the move.

Referring to the behaviour of the police during the recent arrest episode, Mr. Ramamurthy said there were no two opinions on the police action. But it was the Government to take a decision on whether they should be punished before or after the enquiry commission submitted its report. Casting aspersions on the panel at this juncture was not good, he added.

Referring to the PMK bid to re-enter the NDA, he said the ``fund flow into the party's kitty has dwindled, and this is a measure to set it right''.

Local body elections

Earlier, a meeting with the party's block, district and State- level office-bearers resolved to go it alone in the coming local body elections. If any need arose for an alliance with any party, it empowered Mr. Ramamurthy to take a suitable decision.

The meeting appealed to the Election Commission to sanction a common symbol for its candidates.

In Pondicherry, no local body elections had been held so far, despite the fact that the Panchayat Raj Act came into force following Rajiv Gandhi's efforts to bring in 73rd Amendment. Now that the Congress(I) alliance had come back to power, local body elections would be held there, the meeting hoped.

It also passed a resolution condoling the death of Sivaji Ganesan in Chennai on Saturday.

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Section  : Southern States
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