Differences surface in AIADMK-led secular front

Differences surface in AIADMK-led secular front
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

CHENNAI, SEPT 25: Differences within the AIADMK-led secular front in Tamil Nadu surfaced again today, with the TMC distancing itself from AIADMK leader Jayalalitha's view that there was a succession war in the DMK following a revolt by party President and Chief mihister M Karunanidhi's son M K Azhagiri.

TMC President G K Moopanar told a press conference here that he would not like to comment on the controversy over the DMK's directive to partymen not to have any truck with Azhagiri, as he did not want to encroach into a family feud.

Jayalalitha, at a public meeting here on Saturday last, had alleged that the succession war in the DMK had become a law and order issue and people were being made to suffer.

Asked for his comments on the happenings at Madurai in the wake of violent protests by Azhagiri's supporters, Moopanar said ``I do not want to comment or encroach upon into the family affairs of the Chief Minister''.

He also differed from Jayalalitha's remarks that the state had ``mishandled'' the Rajkumar abduction issue, saying he was more interested in the safety of linguistic minorities in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka and the safe return of Rajkumar.

He said the law and order situation in Tamil Nadu was not``good''. Asked whether he would demand the Centre's intervention in the state, he said ``Will the Union Home Minister L K Advani listen to me like he did to Mamta Bannerjee'', in an obvious reference to Mamta's demand for Central intervention in West Bengal.

Moopanar said he wished that the secular front in the state was intact to to fight communalism.

Asked whether the front would be converted into an electoral front, he said this would be decided only after the elections to the state assembly for next year were announced.

On Karnanidhi singling out the TMC for criticism in his recent speeches, Moopanar said he was happy to note that at last Karunanidhi had started treating TMC as his political adversary.

He said there was no question of his party rejoining the DMK front.

He said his party would be organising a `peaceful picketing' programme in all the 234 assembly constitutencies on September 27 condemning the `anti-people policies' of Tamil Nadu and the Central governments.

He had instructed his partymen that there should not be even a single incident of violence in the state, he said adding that there was no place for violence in his party.