TMC parts ways with DMK

CHENNAI, JUNE 3: Tamil Maanila Congress TMC president G K Moopanar on Wednesday hinted that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's DMK decis...

CHENNAI, JUNE 3: Tamil Maanila Congress TMC president G K Moopanar on Wednesday hinted that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam8217;s DMK decision to join the National Democratic Alliance NDA bandwagon, led by the BJP, has ended his party8217;s ties with the DMK.

Talking to newsmen in the city, Moopanar made it clear that though personally he respected DMK president and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi 8220;politically we have fallen apart. We don8217;t accept the alliance with the BJP. There is a difference in perception.8221;

On the possibility of the TMC joining a front which included the AIADMK, he said that would be decided once political events became clearer. 8220;I will abide by the party8217;s decision,8221; he added.

However, he hastened to add that everything depended on the decision of the Congress which has to play its role. 8220;Whatever happens, I will take my party into confidence before taking a decision.8221;

He wondered as to why the resolutions adopted at the DMK general council meeting on Wednesday did not even oncemake a mention of the BJP, its prime ally. Asked if he thought the DMK was fighting shy of announcing its tie-up with the BJP, he said the question should be directed at Karunanidhi.

Earlier in the day, the 1,092 member-strong general council of the DMK ratified the decision of its leadership to be a constituent of the NDA.

The party, in a resolution, hoped that the NDA which is a new entity would totally be a secular one and assured minorities that the DMK would function as their 8220;friend, servant and protector8221;. The DMK would not remain silent if they faced any problem from any quarter. 8220;We will even quit power and protect the minorities,8221; the party resolution said, seeking the support of the people of Tamil Nadu to the NDA.

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The general council met under the chairmanship of Karunanidhi at the Anna Arivalayam campus. Its resolution justified the reasons for aligning with the BJP as it respected the regional parties; did not function autocratically and had a democratic culture of seeking views oflike-minded parties; believed in pluralistic society and federal structure; and announced that it would form a coalition government with regional parties even if it obtained independent majority.

The council stated that even as the country was witnessing a tense situation in the border, the BJP-led NDA had an efficient and experienced leader Vajpayee and considering all the facts, the party decided to go in for ties with the NDA.

Resolutions were also passed to extend support to the Centre8217;s effort to flush out Pakistan-backed infiltrators from the Kargil region of Jammu and Kashmir and the Tamil Nadu government8217;s drive against fundamentalists who create confusion among the people by planting bombs in public places and government offices.