Jaya steps up anti-DMK tirade

CHENNAI, Nov 7 (PTI) — A day after alleging a secret understanding between Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, AIADMK supremo Jayalalitha today stepped up her demand for the dismissal of the DMK Government even as the BJP dismissed the charge as baseless.

The Tamil Nadu Government also denied any secret deal between the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister to save the DMK ministry.

Claiming that the recent deposition of a senior Tamil Nadu police official before a central tribunal admitted to LTTE activities persisting in the state despite police action, Ms Jayalalitha said in a statement that the deposition offered "enough evidence" for dismissal of the Karunanidhi government without any delay.

"Activities of the outlawed LTTE have registered a manifold increase and terrorism and anti-national activities are becoming rampant in Tamil Nadu ever since Mr Karunanidhi took over its administration," she said.

Ms Jayalalitha said smuggled goods were seized from LTTE cadres along with guns, pistols, wireless equipment and global positioning systems while several militants were arrested in various places in the state.

The AIADMK supremo also cited references made in the Jain Commission report and the serial bomb blasts in Coimbatore early this year to claim that there was "sufficient evidence" that anti-national forces had launched and intensified their activities since Mr Karunanidhi became Chief Minister.

"Hence, I reiterate that the Karunanidhi government should be dismissed in the interests of national security," she said.

BJP spokesman M. Venkaiah Naidu said in Delhi that there was no secret deal between Mr Vajpayee and Mr Karunanidhi for reaching the accord in exchange for not dismissing the DMK government.

"There was a perfect understanding among the state governments and the people of these states are happy over the Cauvery accord," he said.

BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit took exception to Ms Jayalalitha’s charge and said the Prime Minister had the interests of Tamil Nadu in the Cauvery issue and signing the accord had nothing to do with the DMK government’s performance.

In a statement, Tamil Nadu Public Works Minister Durai Murugan said Ms Jayalalitha’s allegation was aimed at diverting people’s attention from the Madras High Court verdict upholding constitution of special courts to try corruption charges against her and her ministers.

Meanwhile, Tamizhaga Rajiv Congress, a constituent of the AIADMK front in Tamil Nadu, demanded dismissal of the Karunanidhi government for "failure’’ to check caste clashes in the state.

An official statement also denied as "baseless" Ms Jayalalitha’s allegation that the Cauvery River Water Authority (CRWA) lacked technical expertise to give effect to the tribunal’s interim order.

CRWA, headed by the Prime Minister, includes Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Union Territory of Pondicherry, who are assisted by their respective senior officers and technical experts, the statement said.

"Therefore, there is no question of the Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka entering into any kind of ‘secret’ deal with the Prime Minister," it said.

Ms Jayalalitha had also alleged that "this secret, presumably, is known only to Vajpayee, Karunanidhi and J H Patel (Karnataka Chief Minister), and nothing is going to change the ground realities of the Cauvery dispute".

The statement explained that the monitoring committee is headed by the Secretary, Water Resources, and includes the Chief Secretaries of the states concerned as its members.

Technical experts in the committee include the Chairman of the Central Water Commission (CWC), the Chief Engineer of the CWC is the member-secretary of the monitoring committee, it said.

It also includes chief engineers from the three states and Pondicherry to provide the requisite technical inputs in assisting CRWA in giving effect to the tribunal’s interim order.

"Thus the monitoring authority is fully equipped with technical advice not only from the CWC but also from the Chief Engineers of the states concerned. Therefore, it is incorrect to state that there is no technical expertise in CRWA," the statement said.

CRWA as well as the monitoring committee have already held one meeting each where the problems were discussed by all concerned in a free and frank atmosphere, it said, adding the deliberations were open to all the members.

It further said the basic objective of CRWA and the monitoring committee is to ensure that enough water is made available to the people of Tamil Nadu.

"If any side has problems, it could write to the monitoring committee. Tamil Nadu has indeed written to the monitoring committee which in turn has communicated to Karnataka to do the needful," it added.