Front Page

Nuclear deal: AIADMK distances itself from Amar Singh’s statement

CHENNAI: All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) general secretary Jayalalithaa wonders whether her party is still part of the United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) and whether the alliance itself exists.

In a statement on Sunday, Ms. Jayalalithaa distanced her party from Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh’s recent statement that if a joint parliamentary committee to discuss the Indo-US nuclear deal was not possible, the Government should consider some other mechanism to take on board the views of political parties.

“The UNPA has not evolved any such stand on the issue and Mr. Amar Singh’s statement must be treated as his own individual opinion or that of the Samajwadi Party. These are definitely not the views of the AIADMK,” she said.

With the AIADMK also not being informed of the rally organised to protest against India’s naval operations with other countries, Ms. Jayalalithaa questioned the current status of the UNPA itself. “All the above developments reported in the media make me wonder whether the AIADMK is still part of the UNPA, or whether the UNPA continues to exist as one entity at all,” she said.

Explaining the AIADMK’s stand on the issue, she said that the proposed Indo-US deal was a national issue, which could not permit promotion of any sectional viewpoint.

“There can only be one single mechanism with regard to such a vital and crucial issue, irrespective of how many parties are in it, whether they are allies, outside supporters of the Government of India or Opposition parties,” she insisted.

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu