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PMK threatens to quit government

Cracks were visible in the front led by the All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in Tamil Nadu after Pattali Makkal Katchi founder-leader Dr S Ramadoss threatened to leave the Vajpayee government if the prime minister handed the petroleum portfolio, now held by Tamizhaga Rajiv Congress president Vazhapadi K Ramamurthy, to an AIADMK nominee, as reportedly demanded by AIADMK chief J Jayalalitha.

Addressing a press conference in Madras, Dr Ramadoss said the PMK would, however, continue to support the Vajpayee government for the full five years.

Dr Ramadoss said Jayalalitha might have been irritated by the decision of the AIADMK's allies -- the PMK, Marulmalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the TRC -- in last August to continue supporting the Vajpayee government while she was reviewing her party's support to it.

Stating that he had only read media reports about Jayalalitha's plea to the prime minister to divest the petroleum ministry from Ramamurthy and entrust it to her party nominee, he said re-allocation of portfolios or cabinet expansion was the prerogative of the prime minister.

He pointed out that the prime minister had appreciated Ramamurthy's capacity to handle such a crucial ministry.

If for some reason, the prime minister took away the portfolio from Ramamurthy and entrusted it to a AIADMK nominee, then we would surrender our party's portfolios," he said.

UNI

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