Not satisfied with Union Minister E V K S Elangovan's apology for his alleged remarks against DMK President M Karunanidhi, the DMK, a key ally in the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre, today demanded that the Congress high command take action against Elangovan.
'We trust Congress President Sonia Gandhi's assurance that her party will not give up the coalition dharma. To firm up our trust, the Congress high command should take immediate action against the minister,' a resolution passed at a high-level committee meeting of the DMK, which has seven ministers in the Union government, said without naming Elangovan.
The meeting was called in the wake of Elangovan's remarks that the Congress should have a share in power in Tamil Nadu and that the party was not in politics to put 'others in the saddle.' After the DMK expressed its unhappiness on Friday, Elangovan apologised for his remarks.
Briefing reporters, Karunanidhi said the minister had made a "personal and intemprate attack" on him and his family at a Congress meeting in Chennai recently. He had even attacked him by naming his caste, Karunanidhi said.
Asked why the party had not named the minister in its resolution, he said, "you all know who he is. Is the minister, who hurled abuses on me now, not aware of my caste, when I campaigned for him in Gobichettipalayam during the Lok Sabha election? He also said I attacked his father E V K Sampath, which is not true," Karunanidhi said.
Asked about Elangovan's demand for a coalition government in the state, he said, "The time is not ripe in Tamil Nadu for a coalition government."
Asked whether he had given any assurance to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi that his party would not do anything that would endanger the UPA government, Karunanidhi responded, "We will never give any assurance, which undermines our self-respect."
Conceding that the Congress had every right to demand a coalition, the DMK leader said,. We also have a right not to yield to that demand."