> Title : Moopanar mopes : says he will stay out > Author : Nabin Sinha > Publication : The Observer > Date : April 21, 1997 > > The Tamil Maanila Congress on Sunday rejected requests from the United
Front > constituents to reconsider its stand and reiterated that it would extend > support to the new United Front Government headed by Mr I K Gujral. > > While West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu had a telephonic talk with TMC > supremo G K Moopanar in the morning, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK > President M Karunanidhi also made all possible efforts to persuade Mr > Moopanar and his colleagues to join the new UF Government. > > Mr Karunanidhi told newsmen that "TMC has not agreed so, far. I hope I will > be able to persuade them. Their participation is very important for
stability > and secularism." > > TMC MP R Dhanushodi Athithan told The Observer of Business and Politics on > Sunday that "the statement of Forward Bloc MP Chitta Basu that the TMC is > untrustworthy has hurt our feeling. We feel insulted." > > He claimed that Mr Moopanar was never in the race. "Our decision is final
and > we will stick to that," he said. He, however, added that "TMC will neither > support the Congress nor join it." > > Meanwhile, the TMC on Sunday ruled out reconsideration of its decision to > Pull out of the new UF Government and took a pot-shot at those
participating > in it, saying the TMC would prove itself more duty-conscious than those > inside the Government. The party also disapproved of a "section" of the UF > which, it said, had suspected its "political morality and loyalty" to the > coalition. > > "No reconsideration," TMC chief G K Moopanar shot back at reporters after a > three-hour-long deliberation of the TMC parliamentary party and a meeting > with UF convenor N Chandrababu Naidu. > > Asked if he would accept the post of Deputy Prime Minister, if offered, Mr > Moopanar said, "I am not deputy Prime Minister material. " > > A four-page statement issued by the TMC parliamentary party after the
meeting > said that the party was at a loss to know why a section of the UF did not > like Mr Moopanar as the Front leader. > > Referring to the reasons given for disfavouring Mr Moopanar, including that > he was a "Congress sympathiser" and that handing over leadership to him > amounted to giving it to the Congress, the TMC said Mr Moopanar was not an > individual but the leader of an organisation with 50 lakh members, > representing the voice of over five crore self-respecting Tamils. > > The MPs said that despite the TMC's performance in securing a good image
for > the government, the fact that its loyalty and political morality were > questioned by a section had led it to come to the conclusion that TMC did
not > need to participate in the Government. > > > > >
