The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : “Karunanidhi stand on ties with Sri Lanka bid to get votes”

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Tuesday, Apr 21, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

“Karunanidhi stand on ties with Sri Lanka bid to get votes”

S. Sundar and K. Raju

He has been making contradictory statements: Jayalalithaa

— Photo: K. Ganesan

Jayalalithaa addressing an election meeting in Dindigul on Monday.

DINDIGUL: Chief Minister M. Karunandihi’s call for snapping of diplomatic ties with Sri Lanka if ceasefire is not announced in the island nation is only an attempt to get votes, said AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa said on Monday.

Addressing an election meeting here, she said it was only a pretence; as if he was putting pressure on the Centre on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue. “Why did he not say it all these days,” she wondered.

Mr.Karunanidhi had been making contradictory statements on the issue. First, he eulogised Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam leader V.Prabakaran and later said he did not like him (Prabakaran) for he would be a dictator. Mr. Karunandihi had alleged that the LTTE was conspiring to assassinate him; had claimed that his party toed the Congress line on the issue and clarified that the DMK was neither in favour of nor against the LTTE.

Stating that the DMK was playing second fiddle to the Centre on the issue, Ms.Jayalalithaa said Mr.Karunanidhi was “deceiving” people. He had orchestrated many dramas on the issue, including an all-party meeting, handing over of ‘resignation letters’ by DMK MPs, human chain protest and fast. “This (snapping of diplomatic ties) is one among them.”

Ms.Jayalalithaa alleged that the DMK had betrayed the State on its rights and development, despite enjoying a prominent position in the coalition government at the Centre. She flayed the State and the Centre for having failed on various fronts such as price rise, economic crisis and power cut.

If people voted for the AIADMK front, she would ensure “new and exclusive importance” for Tamil Nadu in the new government at the Centre. Her party would strive for a new railway line between Dindigul and Sabarimala, a new train service between Coimbatore and Chennai through Palani and construction of a rail over bridge at Balakrishnapuram.

Mullaperiyar

Earlier, addressing an election meeting at Theni, Ms.Jayalalithaa said that the storage level in the Mullaperiyar dam would be increased to 142 feet, as per the decree of the Supreme Court, if the AIADMK-led alliance won the elections.

“It will be my first endeavour to restore the rights of farmers.”

She said that the Congress-led government at the Centre and the DMK regime had betrayed farmers of the State as they failed to settle the Periyar issue amicably.

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