BJP blames it on Jayalalithaa

By Our Special Correspondent

SALEM, AUG. 1. The State general secretary of the BJP, Mr. L. Ganesan, has said that the Central Government and the Tamil Nadu Government seem set on a collision course, because of the intransigent attitude of the Chief Minister, Ms. Jayalalithaa.

Mr. Ganesan told presspersons here that the Chief Minister had begun to think that the Central Government was interfering in the affairs of Tamil Nadu. Therefore, she wrote letters to her counterparts in other States, seeking their opinion on whether the Central Government could enlist the services of the IPS officers, when their presence was very much needed in the respective States.

Following a widespread condemnation of the arrest of the former Chief Minister, Mr. M. Karunanidhi, the Centre recalled the Governor. Subsequently, the Tamil Nadu Government dropped the cases against the Union Ministers, Mr. Murasoli Maran and Mr. T.R. Baalu. However, the State Government was reluctant to take action against the respective officers, but instituted an ``unwanted enquiry commission''.

Mr. Ganesan said had the State Government suspended the officers concerned and later conducted an enquiry, the issue could have been resolved.

On the PMK re-entry into the NDA, Mr. Ganesan said the State unit would endorse the stand taken by Mr. Vajpayee. In Tamil Nadu, the Puthiya Tamizhagam and the Dalit Panthers of India seemed to be opposing this, and therefore, it ought to be tackled by Mr. Karunanidhi.

In reply to another question on the alliance for the coming local body elections, Mr. Ganesan said ``the BJP is with the DMK''.

The BJP was in the process of identifying the winnable wards, and in such of those wards, the booth committees would be formed by August 15. He expressed the hope that after the local body elections, normality in Tamil Nadu would be restored.

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Section  : Southern States
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