COMMENTARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

BJP has shed its communal agenda, says Karunanidhi

Tamil Nadu chief minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M Karunanidhi today justified his party's move to have an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party, saying that the BJP, after coming to power at the Centre, had gradually distanced itself from its communal agenda.

Talking to newsmen at the airport in Tiruchirappalli, he recalled that the BJP had been very firm when the Shiv Sena objected to the Pakistan cricket team's visit to India and ensured the smooth conduct of the matches between the two countries recently.

Karunanidhi said the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab had improved after the BJP's ties with the National Conference and the Akali Dal.

Indo-Pak relations had improved following Prime Minister A B Vajpayee's bus journey to Lahore, he pointed out.

Since the BJP had corrected itself, there was nothing wrong if the DMK aligned with the BJP, he added.

However, Karunanidhi said the alliance between the DMK and the Tamil Maanila Congress would continue for the May 26 by-elections to some local bodies, in the state.

Referring to the controversial Prevention of Terrorist Activities bill, Karunanidhi said the bill was withdrawn based on the recommendation of the committee headed by state law minister Aladi Aruna that the situation in the state had improved compared to the one that prevailed when the bill was introduced in the assembly.

Asked if the DMK would ask its MPs and MLAs to declare their assets as part of steps to eradicate corruption in public life, he said he was for eradicating corruption in public life. There should be a specific scheme to deal with the problem.

UNI

Tell us what you think of this report