National

PM on `Ram rekha'

By Our Special Correspondent

New Delhi Nov. 11. The Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, today reminded everyone that there is a "Lakshman rekha" that should not be crossed. He was responding to a question on the current standoff between The Hindu and the Jayalalithaa Government in Tamil Nadu.

"It is everybody's responsibility to abide by the Lakshman rekha," the Prime Minister said before leaving for Russia.

Recalling his recent visit to Chennai to attend The Hindu's 125th anniversary celebrations, the Prime Minister said he had observed then that "if not Lakshman rekha, abide by the Ram rekha." And, then he enigmatically added, "The Hindu's Ram (the editor-in-chief) is stuck there."

On Monday, Mr. Vajpayee was reported to have asked the Governor of Tamil Nadu for a report on the developments on the controversy. Today when he was asked whether he had spoken to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, he said "I have had no conversation with the Chief Minister."

She is upset with you, scribes told

Amit Baruah reports from Moscow:

" Jayalalithaa, is upset with you," Mr. Vajpayee told presspersons at the Delhi airport just before his special Air India aircraft took off for Moscow.

"Jayalalithaa naraz hain aap logon se," Mr. Vajpayee said in Hindi during his interaction with members of the media team accompanying him.

The remarks about the latest developments involving the Tamil Nadu Assembly and The Hindu and Murasoli newspapers were suo motu — Mr. Vajpayee was not responding to a question.

In response to the Prime Minister's remarks, one journalist said: "We are also upset with Jayalalithaa" (Ham bhi Jayalalithaa se naraz hain).

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