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BJP poll neutrality was to help AIADMK, says Karunanidhi

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI JAN. 1. The rift between the DMK and the Tamil Nadu BJP widened further with the former Chief Minister, M. Karunanidhi, today reiterating his accusation that State BJP leaders were having a ``secret understanding'' with the AIADMK and acting with ``religious fanaticism''.

Justifying the DMK decision to snap ties with the State BJP, Mr. Karunanidhi, in a statement here, charged that its ``neutrality'' in the recent Vaniyambadi Assembly byelection was only a cover to help the AIADMK candidate win.

Quoting the all-India secretary, L. Ganesan's statement that the BJP remained neutral after it had come to know that the AIADMK nominee, who was a Hindu, had a winning chance, Mr. Karunanidhi asked why the BJP did not extend the same logic to the Saidapet Assembly by-election, where it supported the MDMK. While Central BJP leaders were giving opportunities and entrusting to minority leaders such as Sikandar Bakht important assignments, the leaders here were acting with ``religious fanaticism''. Their ``double standard'', Mr. Karunaidhi said, clearly exposed their intention of defeating the DMK candidate, a Muslim, in Vaniyambadi. That was why they ignored the MDMK in this constituency.

Blaming the State BJP leaders for making false representations against the DMK to their national unit, Mr. Karunanidhi said they were not presenting a true picture of the events in Tamil Nadu.

However, Mr. Karunanidhi was confident that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance Government would not deviate from the national agenda.

The DMK would continue to be part of the NDA as long as it stuck to the agenda, he said.

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