The opposition AIADMK, led by its supremo Jayalalithaa, on Wednesday staged a statewide demonstration, protesting against CM M Karunanidhi's remarks against Lord Ram.
CHENNAI: It appeared to be the beginning of another friendship on Wednesday as BJP president Rajnath Singh and AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa spoke in one voice, yet separately, against the DMK on Setu.
Opposition parties rallied against the DMK-led Democratic Progressive Alliance’s (DPA’s) bandh call on Oct 1, demanding early completion of the Sethusamudram ship canal project, with a flurry of protests and PILs.
AIADMK presidium chairman E Madhusudhanan, Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy and ‘Traffic’ Ramaswamy, a social activist, filed separate pleas against the state-sponsored bandh, calling it unconstitutional.
Meanwhile, Rajnath sought deployment of central forces on bandh day and reiterated the demand for resignation of DMK ministers at the centre.
In his petition filed in the Madras high court, Madhusudhanan also sought a direction to chief minister M Karunanidhi to deposit Rs100 crore with the chief secretary, to be utilised for “compensation for possible damage caused by bandh supporters.” A meeting of the DPA on Monday had given the bandh call.
“The Congress, which banned Salman Rushdie’s Satanic Verses 20 years ago, should use the same standard to seek the withdrawal of Karunanidhi’s remarks on Ram,” said Rajnath, in Chennai to pay homage to former BJP president Jana Krishnamurthy.
Another BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu said the party would not be cowed down by threats and attacks, and will continue its attempts to protect the Ram Setu.
Meanwhile, J Jayalalithaa demanded in Ooty that the Karunanidhi government be dismissed for “functioning against the Indian constitution”.
Jayalalithaa shared the BJP’s ‘hurt’ feelings and reiterated that she was not against the Sethusamudram project, but only against the destruction of Ram Setu.
Reciprocating, Rajnath said he welcomed Jayalalithaa’s stand on the issue. Asked about her party’s continuance in the United National Progressive Alliance, Jayalalithaa said, “The question is not necessary now.”
The AIADMK was a constituent of the NDA in 1998 and had fought the general elections with the BJP. It left the NDA in 1999, but fought the 2004 general elections with BJP.
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