Raja won’t quit: Karunanidhi

Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi has said that Union communications minister A Raja would not resign over the 2G spectrum scam. The DMK chief left representatives of media houses and Tamil TV channels in New Delhi fuming with his statement.

Karunanidhi is also president of DMK and any decision to change the party representatives in the Union cabinet rests solely with him.

Karunanidhi, who left for Delhi on Sunday to finalise the plan outlay of the state and invite top leaders including president Pratibha Patil for the World Classical Tamil Conference scheduled for June, evaded direct replies to several questions, including those on Raja.

Asked whether Raja would continue as minister even though the opposition was pressuring the government to get him to resign, Karunanidhi said, “I am not going to give you any sensational news.”

Asked to comment on the Union chemicals minister’s continued absence in parliament, especially when he needs to reply to questions on his portfolio, he said, “You can ask Alagiri these questions and get the details from him.”

Karunanidhi also refuted that Tamil Nadu was suffering from acute power shortage. Asked if the state was willing to come out with a white paper on the power situation, he replied, “My statement itself is a white paper on the power status. Compared to many other states Tamil Nadu is very comfortable.”

He refused to indicate his topics of discussion with the plan panel. “All details about my discussions with the planning commission will be known after the meeting,” he said.