Press Trust of India
The Observer
May 22, 1999
Title: TMC wanted BJP: TN CM Author: Press Trust of India Publication: The Observer Date: May 22, 1999 In a sudden disclosure, DMIK President and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on Fri-day said that it was the Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) which wanted him to back the BJP in the confidence motion sought by Prime Minister A B Vajpayee in the Lok Sabha on April 17. "Senior TMC leaders had stressed the need for the DMK to take a stand in favour of the Vajpayee Government,' Karunanidhi told newspersons here. He quoted TMC General Secretary and Rajya Sabha MP S Peter Alphonse as telling him at a book release function here on April 10 that the BJP Government without Jayalalitha should go on for at least six months. She should not succeed in her mission. We will work towards this end." Karunanidhi said that Alphonse was a god-fearing man and hoped he would not deny his words. "At a public meeting here after the Government's fall, Alphonse attacked me for saying TMC was opportunistic, though I have never made any such remark. " The Chief Minister, however, declined to comment on TMC President G K Moopanar's remark at Tiruchirappalli on Thursday that the DMR had been 'hasty' in joining the BJP bandwagon. "My personal relationship with M00Panar is the same, and it will continue to be so,' he said. The TMC has been critical of the DMK for first voting in favour of the Vajpayee Government and then taking steps to have a formal alliance with the BJP. Answering to a question on the reported criticism by the Muslim League that Tamil was being imposed on schools teaching Urdu, Karunanidhi said "Our duty is to ensure that linguistic minorities have proper facilities to promote their own language."
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