archive: TMC wanted BJP: TN CM
TMC wanted BJP: TN CM
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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