NEW DELHI, April 7: DMK leader and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today made two deft political moves. One, he downplayed the Jain Commission report and the noises made by the AIADMK seeking his dismissal. He sounded confident that his government would not be dismissed in view of the public posture taken by the BJP against the use of Article 356.``I think the Centre wants stability in states as well,'' he said adding that Home Minister L K Advani had ``promised'' to look into his demands for Central help in modernising his police force.In another move, Karunanidhi made two demands which also figure in Jayalalitha's ``special package'' for Tamil Nadu. He asked for a Constitutional amendment empowering states to decide the percentage of reservations to suit local conditions and an early notification of the scheme for implementation of the Cauvery Tribunal's award.Karunanidhi reiterated them today during his first meeting with Vajpayee as these demands are of crucial political as well associo-economic significance for the state, especially since Jayalalitha and her AIADMK ministers have been harping on the dismissal of the DMK government.Speaking to the press after his 45-minute meeting with Vajpayee, Karunanidhi said the demand for 69 per cent reservation for OBCs, SC and STs in educational institutions has already been fulfilled and included in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution. ``I want the Centre to defend the provision in the court as there are series of cases pending against it.'' This is in addition to his demand that states be given the power to decide on the quantum of reservation.Denying that these demands were politically motivated, he also called for early clearance of important projects, mainly the Sethusamudram project that provides for a coastal shipping channel along the east coast.Later, during his meeting with Home Minister L K Advani, he sought an annual Rs 10-crore Central assistance for modernisation of the state's police force, besides deployment of aRapid Action Force unit in Coimbatore.In this connection, Karunanidhi also explained to the Centre that the February incident at Coimbatore was largely retaliatory to the one earlier in December where a majority of the victims were Muslims. He said the government had been prompt in its follow-up and had already ordered a judicial probe.He said his meetings today with the President, the Prime Minister and the Home Minister, were ``courtesy calls'', something he should have done long ago but could not do because of the ongoing session of the Assembly.``The fear of dismissal of the state government or the Jain Commission report did not bring me here,'' he said. ``I do not give much significance to the Jain Commission report,'' he said adding that the final report should be tabled in Parliament soon.``In fact, I was never bothered about the interim report, nor am I elated over the final report. I always felt the Congress's withdrawal of support was a hasty move.''Karunanidhi also seemed least botheredabout TMC's latest move to go over to the Congress fold. When asked to comment, he said: ``It's a very pertinent question but being put to a wrong person. Ask Moopanar about it.'' He said, however, that the UF was very much alive and ``I am part of it.''
