The DMK is extending support to the Congress-led UPA at the Centre despite many differences, including one on allowing foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail, because it wants to prevent a “communal and reactionary” government from assuming office, party president M. Karunanidhi said on Monday.
Mr Karunanidhi, however, said if the Opposition moved a resolution in Parliament against Foreign Direct Investment in multi-brand retail sector, the DMK would support it.
Talking to reporters after a high-level executive committee meeting here, he also made it clear that differences on various issues would not come in the way of his party’s relationship with the Congress.
“The differences can be sorted out through talks. So, the differences will not affect our relationship with the Congress,” he said.
Mr. Karunanidhi said the DMK representatives who participated in the UPA coordination committee meeting had articulated the party’s line on various issues.
Asked about Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s assertion that there was no question of going back on reforms, even though the DMK had expressed it objections, he said he could not take the Prime Minister’s statement as a challenge.
“We are keen on addressing the people’s problems and we hope the Prime Minister will consider our feelings,” he said.
The executive committee also adopted resolution urging the Centre to reconsider its decision to allow FDI in the retail sector, taking into consideration objections to the move from various quarters.
Another resolution wanted the Centre to completely reject the recommendations of the Kelkar committee that had favoured the idea of dispensing with subsidies.
But he sought to play down the question of forming a third front, saying the question should be addressed to those leaders who were trying to form it.
“I am not thinking about a third front and it is unfair to ask me to answer a question on that subject,” he added.
Mr Karunanidhi also declined to answer a question on the BJP’s campaign that the country would soon witness elections to the Lok Sabha, saying he was not interested in “astrological predictions.”
The high-level meeting also decided that the DMK would organise human chains all over the state on October 5 to protest againt the failure of the AIADMK government on all fronts. It also appealed to the Centre not to vacillate on the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project.
