The Hindu : Lies, part of BJP plan to ally with AIADMK: Karunanidhi

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 31, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Lies, part of BJP plan to ally with AIADMK: Karunanidhi

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI Dec. 30 . As part of a secret plan to forge an alliance with the AIADMK in the coming elections, BJP leaders are spreading lies about the DMK, its president, M. Karunanidhi, said today.

This was improper. They should have the ``courage'' to declare their stance and then should proceed with their plans, he said.

The BJP State unit seems headed for isolation from the National Democratic Alliance constituents in Tamil Nadu, with the MDMK also making clear its displeasure at the BJP decision not to sign the petition condemning the arrest of its general secretary, Vaiko, under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.

To add to the BJP's woes, the party's executive committee did not seem to have got its facts and dates right. The executive said the DMK, at its general council meeting held in February, had passed a resolution to the effect that the party was not in alliance with the State BJP. ``Can the BJP prove that such a resolution was adopted,'' asked Mr. Karunanidhi. Also, the council met on March 24, not in February.

Recalling the resolution, ``in which there was no mention of the relationship or friendship with the BJP,'' Mr. Karunanidhi said the BJP contending that such a resolution was passed was strange.

Also, the PMK appears closer to the DMK than to the BJP now. Even the MDMK, which was born out of differences between leaders in the DMK, is closer to the parent party than to any other party now.

The cementing of the new-found relationship — after Mr. Vaiko's arrest — has been brought about by the shared disenchantment of the parties with the BJP.

In effect, the BJP has been left with no option but to try to expand its base or look for new partners. This found expression at the executive committee meeting, which said the party would concentrate on expanding its base in Tamil Nadu without bothering about alliances.

Also, the BJP general secretary, H. Raja, said in Vellore on Sunday that his party would not sign the petition condemning the arrest of Mr. Vaiko under the POTA. Elaborating, he said today that no one had so far sought signatures from BJP men in the State. Also, he did not know what the petition contained.

The MDMK has taken strong exception to this stand. Mr. Vaiko, in a measured response, said the BJP State general secretary could not be bigger than the national president, M. Venkaiah Naidu. ``Mr. Naidu has stated the POTA has been misused in my case. There have been similar statements from other BJP leaders also,'' he said. But now, with the State BJP talking differently, a ``necessity'' has risen for the MDMK to consider various aspects of the issue.

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Lies, part of BJP plan to ally with AIADMK: Karunanidhi