Southern States - Tamil Nadu   

Cong. to tie up with Left parties

By Our Special Correspondent

Chennai Dec. 15. The newly-nominated State Congress executive today set itself the target of creating a "strong and secular platform" with the support of the Left parties for providing an alternative to the Dravidian parties and restoring Kamaraj rule in Tamil Nadu.

Condemning the ruling AIADMK for practising "majoritarian politics" and the principal Opposition party, the DMK, for pursuing "opportunistic politics" of continuing in the BJP alliance at the Centre, the party executive, in a resolution, said only a coming together of secular, democratic forces could offer a "different political arrangement", which the people of Tamil Nadu were awaiting. Drawing upon the metaphor of scorpion, the resolution said the AIADMK was acting as the stinging tail of the RSS.

However, the AICC secretary, Ramesh Chennithala, who chaired the first sitting of the recently-appointed executive, refused to spell out if the Congress would float a third front. "On issues of communalism and opposition to the anti-conversion law enacted by the AIADMK Government, we will work with like-minded parties. We are not thinking of alliances as there are no elections now," Mr.Chennithala told the media here. Asked if the Left parties had shed their reluctance to work with the Congress, he merely said they were coordinating on issues of common concern.

Earlier, the executive in its political resolution deplored the frequent sacking of Ministers by the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, and said she had reduced the administration to a mockery.

It charged that the legislation banning forcible conversion had been brought in only to get closer to the BJP and Sangh Parivar. The party demanded a CBI probe into the Veeranam project deal in the wake of a recent media expose on award of contracts at nearly Rs. 56 crores above department rates.

On the Cauvery water issue, it subscribed to the State Government stand saying that only the Supreme Court could provide justice to Tamil Nadu farmers.

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