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DMK, TMC tensions spill over again

The simmering discord between the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and its electoral ally, the Tamil Maanila Congress resurfaced in the Tamil Nadu assembly today for the second time in 24 hours.

Chief Minister and DMK president M Karunanidhi regretted that the veteran leader K Kamaraj's aide Vairavan was left in the lurch by his partymen after his death in 1976. It was the then DMK government which had provided him succour by employing him as caretaker of the Kamaraj Memorial, he pointed out.

Replying to a special mention made by TMC member Gnanasekaran, who wanted provision of focus light for a Kamaraj statue on the Marina beach or alternately sought permission from the government to provide the same at his party's cost, he said following the ideal of the late leader was as important as taking care of his statues.

The DMK held Kamaraj in high esteem. The DMK had installed a statue of Kamaraj at the Madras corporation premises even when he was alive, Karunanidhi pointed out.

Incidentally, TMC president G K Moopanar, who is an ardent follower of Kamaraj, was in the Congress-O, which the latter headed at the time of his death. Moopanar and his supporters subsequently joined the Congress, then led by Indira Gandhi.

Speaking with irony, Karunanidhi said the TMC member had raised a matter of great significance (providing focus light for the statue).

Only yesterday, he took note of TMC leader and leader of the opposition S Balakrishnan's interview to a Tamil magazine wherein he had claimed that the chief minister was extending the duration of the present assembly session due to fear that his government would be dismissed by the Vajpayee government as demanded by the All India Anna DMK, the BJP's ally.

Arrows flung again in the House today when Gnanasekaran, spoke on a point of order on another special mention about the non-holding of union elections at Simpson and Company by another member, referred to the murder of a union leader of the company in 1972. It appeared like a veiled attack on the DMK since the murder accused was a DMK member.

TMC members appeared subdued after Karunanidhi's reply on the Kamaraj statue issue.

Labour Minister A Rahman Khan did not touch the 1972 murder while replying on the special mention.

Balakrishnan was not in the House when the issue came up.

UNI

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