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TN situation 'serious', says Venkaiah Naidu

The federal government is closely monitoring the situation in Tamil Nadu and will not hesitate to intervene if there is a constitutional break-down in the state, Bharatiya Janata Party general secretary Venkaiah Naidu said in Madras on Sunday.

Dubbing the situation in the state as "serious", Naidu said the activities of Pakistan's notorious Inter Services Intelligence was on the increase. Simultaneously, the BJP leader alleged, the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam was harassing its political opponents.

Asked whether he saw a "constitutional break-down" at this point in time, however, Naidu refrained from a categorical answer. However, he asserted that the BJP-led federal government would invoke Article 356 of the Constitution only in the event of such a break-down.

Asked to comment on the recent walkout by AIADMK members from Parliament in support of their demand for the dismissal of the DMK government in the state, Naidu said, "They were stressing a point of view by democratic means."

Asked if he saw the possibility of the AIADMK withdrawing support to the Vajpayee government at the Centre, Naidu contented himself with expressing the hope that all partners of the ruling coalition would act with responsibility.

Naidu brushed aside reports quoting Minister of State for Personnel K R Janardhanam to the effect that there was bad blood between the BJP and AIADMK, and said that walkouts were not particularly unusual. Former prime minister Inder Kumar Gujral had once walked out of a Janata Dal meeting, Naidu argued in support of his contention.

Taking exception to Gujral's warning to the BJP-led government against dismissal of the DMK regime in the state, Naidu pointed out that Gujral, during his own tenure, had dismissed the BJP governments in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh.

Denying that the BJP had attempted to split the AIADMK, Naidu said his party did not believe in splitting parties, more so when the party in question happened to be a coalition partner.

Referring to hike in the price of urea as per the latest Budget, Naidu said that since the farming community appeared opposed to it, the policy would be reviewed "positively". However, he added that the Congress had no business agitating against the move, since that party had itself hiked urea prices thrice in the recent past.

Referring to criticism of the recent nuclear tests by the Opposition, Naidu said criticising the government, while complimenting the scientists, was akin to greeting a mother for giving birth to a baby, while condemning the father.

Dismissing allegations that the federal government was building up war hysteria in the sub-continent, Naidu said it was the Opposition that was getting hysterical about the country's proudest moment.

The BJP had never claimed credit for the blasts, said Naidu, adding that recent criticism stemmed from the frustration felt by the Congress at the widespread appreciation the Vajpayee government was getting across the nation for conducting the tests.

Meanwhile, Minister for Power P Rangarajan Kumaramangalam expressed his own concern at what he called the "deteriorating law and order situation in Tamil Nadu, especially Coimbatore.

Charging the DMK regime with harassing BJP workers in Coimbatore, the minister said Chief Minister M Karunanidhi had not yet taken any action against those police officials who had failed to prevent the Coimbatore blasts.

The Centre is monitoring the situation in the state, the minister said. Responding to a question about AIADMK chief J Jayalalitha's persistent demands for dismissal of the DMK government, Kumaramangalam said that was for the Centre to decide.

UNI

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