M A I N   N E W S

NDA divided on Central rule
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 2
A divided National Democratic Alliance (NDA) today demanded stern action against the Tamil Nadu Government for the manner in which two Central Ministers and a former state Chief Minister, were taken in custody in pre-dawn swoop on June 30.

Deploring the police high-handedness of the Tamil Nadu police, a majority of the NDA constituents demanded strong action against the Jayalalitha-led government in the southern state.

However, reports said there was lack of unanimity in the ruling coalition at the Centre regarding the imposition of President’s rule in the state under Article 356 of the Constitution. But with the majority of constituents in favour of the imposition of President’s rule, the others had to fall in line.

There is apparently a difference of opinion within the NDA over whether Article 356 or Article 256 be imposed in Tamil Nadu. A final decision on this would now be taken by the Union Cabinet at its meeting tomorrow evening. However, there was unanimity over the fact there should be stern action against the Tamil Nadu government.

The NDA constituents, at the meeting which continued for almost two hours, were of the view that the mere release of the two Union Ministers was not enough and that all charges against them must be dropped immediately.

A three-member NDA fact-finding committee comprising George Fernandes, Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and Vijay Malhotra returned to the Capital yesterday evening after taking first-hand stock of the situation arising out of the unusual circumstances of the arrest of the Union Ministers Murasoli Maran and T.R. Baalu and also former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK chief M. Karunanidhi.

Briefing newspersons here after a meeting of the NDA, Samata Party leader and NDA convener, George Fernandes said that there were sufficient grounds to dismiss the Jayalalitha government in Tamil Nadu in order to restore the rule of law and enforce the Constitution.

Terming the act as a single person’s “maniacal disposition”, Mr Fernandes said the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu had opened the doors of anarchy as no one person or political party had done since Independence.

“The leaders of the various political parties whom we met, including the BJP, have also told us very strongly that with the breakdown of the Constitution in the state, the Union Government should invoke Article 356 and dismiss the (state) government”, the four-page report of the NDA fact-finding team said.

“ It is for the government to take whatever decision it deems necessary to restore the rule of law and enforce the Constitution”, the NDA team said in its report.

“The three sets of pictorial prints of the videotape which bear witness to the barbarism perpetrated on Dr Karunanidhi, Mr Maran and Mr Baalu and nail the lies of the police”, are appended to the report.

“The facts as conveyed to us by Mr Maran and the material evidence in our possession give lie to the statement of the police authorities and the Chief Minister that Mr Maran and Mr Baalu had attacked the police and had tried to prevent public servants from doing their duty,” the report said.

Incidentally, the report also does not directly recommends the imposition of President’s rule and only says that the people with whom the NDA team spoke were of the opinion that Article 356 must be imposed.

BJP seeks action against Jaya govt
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 2
The BJP today fielded Minister for Rural Development M. Venkaiah Naidu to project the party’s view on the Tamil Nadu crisis who began by demanding action against the state government for its maltreatment to former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and Central Ministers Murasoli Maran and T.R. Baalu.

Addressing mediapersons at the party headquarters, Mr Naidu, a former spokesman of the party, said the NDA government wanted the restoration of constitutional norms in the state and warned the Tamil Nadu Government saying “We cannot remain silent spectators to the anarchy going on in the state”.

The Centre was monitoring the developments in the state and would take “appropriate action at the appropriate time”, Mr Naidu said while BJP spokesperson Maya Singh sat besides him. She had to read out the official party statement after the minister told the mediapersons that he would be available at the party headquarters for a while.

Appealing to all political parties to stand by the country’s Constitution whose federal character was under serious threat, Mr Naidu said the state government must release the two Central Ministers immediately and take action against those police officials responsible for the sordid events.

In a statement on behalf of the BJP, Ms Maya Singh urged the government to take appropriate action to safeguard the Constitution. “The Central Government has a responsibility to ensure adherence to constitutional norms”, the BJP spokesperson said.

Condemning the manner in which the two Central Ministers were manhandled and arrested as also the former Chief Minister, she said: “It is ironic that a person who has been convicted and debarred from standing for elections to the state Assembly has the audacity to humiliate widely respected national leaders.”