Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president and Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Tuesday welcomed Union Minister and Congress general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad's warning to Congress members that they should not make remarks publicly against the DMK-Congress alliance.
“I am happy that alliance dharma has been adhered to,” Mr. Karunanidhi told reporters after chairing a meeting of the DMK Members of Parliament at the party headquarters here.
He termed closed chapter, the tirade of senior Congress leader E.V.K.S. Elangovan against the DMK.
Sri Lanka issue
On his recent meeting with Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, the Chief Minister said she had assured him that she would convey to the Centre his views on rehabilitation of internally displaced Sri Lankan Tamils. An envoy or emissary team would be sent shortly.
He replied in the negative to a question whether any MP from the State would be included in the proposed team.
About pay hike for MPs, Mr. Karunanidhi said that there would be no objection to giving them reasonable pay.
Asked whether All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Jayalalithaa had explained to the government why she did not take part in Monday's meeting of the search committee for the State Chief Information Commissioner (CIC), Mr. Karunanidhi said that when he convened all-party meetings on issues such as Cauvery dispute, it was his practice to send signed invitations to all leaders. He did it this time too. But, when Ms. Jayalalithaa was in power, communication [for such meetings] came from the Chief Secretary.
To a question who had been chosen as CIC, the Chief Minister said that the matter had been referred to Governor.
Asked about his statement that he would consider re-imposing prohibition, the Chief Minister replied that he did not say in how many days he would do it.
Plea to Centre
Earlier, at the party MPs' meeting, a resolution was adopted calling upon the Centre to have its approach on subjects such as education and taxation in such a manner that it would not encroach upon rights of States.
While thanking the Centre for putting on hold the move to conduct a common entrance test for the MBBS course, the meeting wanted it to announce that the decision of holding CET at the all-India level had been withdrawn permanently.
Mr. Karunanidhi also said that because of superstitions, people's welfare projects such as Sethusamudram took a back seat.
