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DMK stand to be finalised at party meet

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M Karunanidhi today said the party would take a decision on the present political crisis at the Centre only after discussing the issue at the appropriate party forum.

Asked to spell out the party's stand in the wake of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazagham's threat to withdraw support to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition at the Centre, Karunanidhi said the DMK's practice was to take such important decisions at the party fora.

"However, the present political situation has not reached the climax making us convene such a (party general council) meeting," he told the media.

Asked whether he favoured the BJP-led government to remain in power or relinquish office, Karunanidhi said, "I do not have the strength to decide whether the government should remain in power or go." The DMK has six MPs in the Lok Sabha.

He said he had not received any feelers either from the BJP or the Congress seeking the DMK's support.

Asked about his meeting with the BJP state leaders earlier in the day, he said the appointment was fixed a week ago and did not discuss any political issue.

He described the AIADMK's decision to pull out its ministers from the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government as yet another episode in the 'buffoonery' that has been going on for a year.

Asked as to how the 'buffoonery' would affect the stability at the Centre, he said, ''The AIADMK, which had sought votes on the stability plank, had been systematically destroying its very ethos.''

When he was reminded of his earlier prediction of a mid-term poll, Karunanidhi said the present situation showed that things were moving in that direction.

He endorsed DMK parliamentary group leader and former Union minister Murasoli Maran's view that elections might solve several problems.

On AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalitha's demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the sacking of Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat, he said he did not want to go into the controversy.

He evaded a reply when asked whether Jayalalitha had any hidden agenda in withdrawing support to the government.

Agreeing to a suggestion that the present situation might pave the way for horse-trading, he said in the last one year several things had happened and that he would not be surprised if there was horse-trading.

UNI

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