Speaking to media persons after an hour-long meeting with the BJP state unit functionaries at the Secretariat, Karunanidhi said a case was on in the Madras High Court seeking a CBI inquiry into the blasts in the textile city. An affidavit filed on behalf of the CBI had said that the investigation that was being conducted was sufficient.

``The CBI officials had themselves submitted in the court that they did not have adequate personnel, however they would act according to the court order.'' In this background when the court was yet to pass orders, the state government need not ask for a CBI inquiry Karunanidhi said, adding that he had conveyed this to the BJP leaders.

Karunanidhi said he had briefed the BJP members about the CBI inquiry in the 1993 RSS officebomb blast case (in which 11 persons were killed), murder of Hindu Munnani leader Rajagopalan in 1994 and the minor blast near the compound wall in Madurai Meenakshiamman Temple in 1996.

The special investigation team which went into the serial blasts had so far arrested 157 and the search was on to apprehend another 23 suspected men in this connection. Out of the 157 arrested, 111 have been detained under the National Security Act (NSA) and charge-sheets are awaited against them.

Karunanidhi said the state DGP F C Sharma during a meeting held recently had stated that there was no involvement of Pakistan's ISI in the Coimbatore blasts.

AID FOR BLAST VICTIMS: Karunanidhi said he had given orders to the Coimbatore district collector to provide aid for blast-affected victims undergoing treatment in the hospital.

On the allegation by BJP leaders that Hindu Munnani activists were being held under the NSA, the chief minister said the government was taking action as per law against those who indulgedin violence without targeting any particular community. Out of the 14 Hindus among those arrested under NSA, 10 had been released. The cases of the remaining were still being processed, Karunanidhi said.

Cauvery waters

Karunanidhi said Tamil Nadu would ask Karnataka to release the remaining 7.9 tmc ft of Cauvery water due to it for the month of August as per the Tribunal's interim Award. In the first week of September, Tamil Nadu received only 7.03 tmc ft instead of the stipulated 7.34 tmc ft of water.

The government had written a letter on September 6 to the Cauvery River Water Authority Secretary and Ministry for Water Resources Secretary about the remaining water due for Tamil Nadu for August.

A letter has also been dispatched to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in this connection and on the implementation of the tribunal's interim order, Karunanidhi said.