BJP will dump you, Jayalalithaa tells DMK

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, AUG. 27. In a dramatic assertion of her party's usefulness as an alliance partner, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Ms. Jayalalithaa, today claimed that the BJP would dump the DMK, if only the AIADMK expressed its willingness to join the NDA.

Capping a lively debate in the Assembly over which of the two Dravidian parties had pressured the Centre more for the cause of Tamil Nadu, Ms. Jayalalithaa said: ``If we announce that we would join the Central Government, the BJP would throw you out.''

The Education Minister, Mr. M. Thambidurai, set the ball rolling by dwelling at length on how the AIADMK took up with the Centre issues such as implementation of the Sethusamudram project and making Tamil an official language. ``And when our demands were not met, Ms. Jayalalithaa did not hesitate to walk out of the Union Government.''

Immediately, the DMK MLA, Mr. Durai Murugan, was on his feet saying, ``this is a new unrevealed secret that we never heard or read about in newspapers.'' Other DMK members shouted that everyone knew the real reason why the AIADMK walked out of the alliance - that the Centre did not concede the demand for dismissal of the DMK Government.

At this, the Chief Minister intervened to say issues concerning the interest of Tamil Nadu were discussed at the meetings of the AIADMK executive and general councils before the party decided to quit the BJP-led alliance.

Mr. Thambidurai added: ``We quit the Government only for the cause of Tamils and Tamil Nadu. Will you do the same now?'' he asked the DMK members. Again a smiling Mr. Durai Murugan replied: ``We will do it, but only if you give a solemn promise that you will not enter into any alliance with the BJP.''

Even as he was settling back into his seat, Ms. Jayalalithaa said: ``We need not make any such promise. Even if we just announce that we are prepared to join the Central Government, the BJP will throw you out.''

Amid thunderous applause from the treasury benches, the Speaker, Mr. K. Kalimuthu, stated that the Chief Minister's pointed remark had effectively sealed the debate.

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Section  : National
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