The Hindu : `Jayalalithaa name in meal tokens, a bid to cheat voters'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jan 21, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

`Jayalalithaa name in meal tokens, a bid to cheat voters'

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI Jan. 20. The DMK has taken exception to the State Government distributing tokens to farmers with the inscription `Jayalalithaa Government's special noon meal scheme for poor farmer families' in the Sattankulam Assembly constituency, where a byelection takes place on February 26.

This amounts to cheating the voters and an attempt at bribing them, the party said. While it had no problems with the scheme being named after Ms. Jayalalithaa, on the lines of the MGR noon meal scheme for students, the DMK could not accept the change from the `Tamil Nadu Government' to the `Jayalalithaa Government.'

Displaying copies of the tokens, the DMK president, M. Karunanidhi, said here today that they were distributed from the Thoppur meal centre, under the Sattankulam panchayat union.

The DMK would lodge a formal complaint with the Election Commission in New Delhi, though it was not contesting the poll.

Asked whether the DMK would support any party, he said no one had so far sought its backing. He would not request other parties to withdraw from the poll.

On a few Congress leaders having met him, he said the meeting was to enquire about the health of the ailing Union Minister, Murasoli Maran. But he made it clear that the DMK would not so soon forget the BJP's role in the Vaniyambadi and Saidapet Assembly byelections.

Attacking the BJP for talking "lowly about the DMK in the past one year'', the DMK chief said the practice still continued. The BJP State general secretary, H. Raja, welcomed the AIADMK statement, which wanted him (Mr. Karunanidhi) arrested for his alleged anti-Hindutva statements and stated a criminal case should be launched against him. "How can those who have been watching all this expect the DMK to have an understanding with the State BJP?''.

Mr. Karunanidhi said the DMK was not in favour of dismissing the AIADMK Government for, it did not consider Article 356 of the Constitution more powerful than people's power.

No birthday celebrations

In another development, Mr. Karunanidhi, long before his 80th birthday, requested partymen and cadres not to hold celebrations or come to his residence.

Mr. Karunanidhi turns 80 this June. When people were reeling under drought and starvation, he could not celebrate his birthday, the DMK chief said. Besides, Mr. Maran was in hospital. Mr. Karunanidhi requested the partymen to concentrate on the party elections, due for completion in June.

MDMK not to contest

Meanwhile, the MDMK is also not in favour of contesting the byelection. When senior leaders met the general secretary, Vaiko, he advised them to take a stand in consonance with the DMK decision, says a party release.

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