Karunanidhi hopeful of further Central action

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, JULY 31. While making it clear that he was ``not dissatisfied'' with the steps already taken by the Union Government in dealing with the situation arising from his arrest, the DMK president, Mr. M. Karunanidhi, today said he was hopeful that the Centre would take further steps on this issue.

Asked about the steps he expected the Centre to take, Mr. Karunanidhi said these depended on the course adopted by the State Government. Talking to reporters at the DMK headquarters, he said there must be no politicisation of the routine transfers of officers of the Central services from a State to the Centre or from the Centre to the State. The transfers, he said, were not linked to his arrest and were done at an administrative level.

On the delay on the part of the State Government in sending a letter to the Centre on the transfers issue, he said this was the concern of the Centre. ``Whenever we were in power, we had complied with the requests of the Centre regarding transfer of officials.''

Revealing the blood clot marks on his shoulder, Mr. Karunanidhi said the officers responsible for his ``manhandling'' should be dismissed from service.

In this context, Mr. Karunanidhi said it was the Chief Minister, Ms. Jayalalithaa, who had undermined Centre-State relations. The State Government had asked the police to search the residence of the Union Minister, Mr. Murasoli Maran. The police had beaten up another Union Minister who had questioned their action.

If the police had wanted to arrest the Chennai Mayor, Mr. M.K. Stalin, they could have asked him to report to the Police Commissioner's Office.

``He is not an absconding dacoit or murderer,'' he said.

Justifying the DMK's demand for dismissal of the AIADMK Government despite the party's opposition to the use of Article 356, he said all political parties must arrive at a consensus on the removal of Article 356 from the Constitution. ``I want to know whether all parties are ready to pass a resolution asking for its removal,'' he said.

The Chief Minister, Ms. Jayalalithaa, he said, had demanded the use of the Article against the previous DMK Government. Now, she was opposed to the Article because she feared the dismissal of her Government under that provision. Political colour should not be added to this issue, he added.

Asked about the reentry of the PMK into the NDA, he said he was yet to talk to the PMK founder, Dr. S. Ramadoss, on the issue.

Only after a meeting with Dr. Ramadoss would he be able to obtain his views. Subsequently, he would talk to the Dalit Panthers leader, Mr. R. Tirumavalavan, about his reservations on the entry of the PMK. On whether the relief amount offered by the DMK to the kin of those who had committed suicide on hearing of his arrest would not amount to encouraging suicide, he said he had appealed to people not to resort to such acts.

But the families of those who had committed suicide could not be left in the lurch.

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Section  : Southern States
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