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Jaya to skip town during MDMK's Madras rally despite PM, Advani's presence

All India Anna DMK general secretary J Jayalalitha is likely to skip the September 15 Marumalarchi DMK rally in Madras to be addressed by, among others, Prime Minister A B Vajpayee and Union Home Minister L K Advani, as she is scheduled to address a public meeting organised by her party at Tiruchirapalli on the same day.

An AIADMK statement said a meeting of party headquarters office-bearers chaired by Jayalalitha decided that she would address a public meeting at Tiruchirapalli to mark the 90th birthday celebrations of the late C N Annadurai.

Jayalalitha would garland the Annadurai statue at Chintamani in the Rockfort town at 1030 hours and address a public meeting at 1800 hours.

Vajpayee and Advani have confirmed their visit to the city on September 15 to address the rally.

The AIADMK, earlier, had cancelled a "victory rally" to be addressed by Vajpayee and leaders of other allied parties at Dindugul on August 2 "on security and weather grounds".

In a statement, state BJP secretary L Ganesan said in response to the request made by MDMK general secretary Vaiko and the state BJP unit, Advani would also address the September 15 rally in Madras.

He said keeping in view of the arrangements to be made for the September 15 rally, the state BJP has decided to cancel the September 10 procession to be taken out to the state secretariat to press for a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the February 14 Coimbatore serial blasts.

Instead, a party delegation would meet Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and hand over the signatures collected from the public to press the demand, he added.

The ruling DMK had already decided to hold its rally at Tirunelveli on September 17, instead of in the city, to celebrate the late Annadurai's birthday to avoid any clash of dates with the Madras rally to be addressed by the prime minister.

UNI

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