To a question on the demand for dismissal of the Bihar Government and pointing to a similar demand in Tamil Nadu, MDMK general secretary Vaiko said his party had taken a stand that no duly elected government should be dismissed by using Article 356 of the Constitution.

At a press conference here, he said: ``I will be the last person to demand the dismissal of the DMK Government or any government as only people should decide this.''

In yet another development, Vaiko said no slogan on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue would be raised by processionists during its September 15 rally here, but asserted that this did not mean that the MDMK would compromise on its principled stand on the `Eelam' demand.

He told a press conference here that only slogans relevant to the rally had been chosen for beingraised and denied a suggestion that the Centre had directed that such slogans be avoided.

He also refuted a suggestion that the party was skirting the Sri Lankan Tamils issue as it did not want to embarrass Prime Minister A B Vajpayee, the chief guest for the rally to mark the birth anniversary of late DMK founder C N Annadurai.

To a specific question on his present stand, Vaiko said his perception was that the plight of Tamils in Sri Lanka could be remedied only by creating a `separate Eelam'.

However, he took exception to `sinister canards' being spread by some quarters about the rally. ``Their purpose is to spoil the rally's success,'' he added.

Rejecting Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy's charge that LTTE men were likely to participate in the MDMK rally, Vaiko said none should take Swamy seriously. ``Such mischievous charges don't deserve comment.''

Reiterating that the MDMK's support to the BJP-led government was unconditionally available for its full term, Vaiko was at pains toreiterate that the party would not join the government, unless a ``necessity'' arose.

However, he declined to say what would constitute such a necessity. ``Our party has decided it can consider joining the government only if a necessity arises. Even if at some point, the MDMK joins the government, I will not become a minister.''

He parried a number of questions on the unity of the AIADMK-led alliance in Tamil Nadu, asserting that all its members held the same view that support to the government should continue. ``There is no confusion in the front.''

A newsman wanted to know whether the September 15 rally, where allies minus the AIADMK would be together, was an indication of a non-AIADMK axis was emerging in Tamil Nadu, but Vaiko discounted the theory.

There was no significance in AIADMK supremo Jayalalitha having her own function at Tiruchirappalli on the same day to mark Anna's birth anniversary. Every party had a right to celebrate the occasion, and ``it will only add to Anna's glory, if morepeople celebrate it.''

He declined to comment on Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee's demand for removal of the AIADMK from the front, but agreed with the request by PMK founder S Ramadoss for convening the coordination committee's meeting.