The Hindu : Path cleared for fair trial: DMK

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 19, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Path cleared for fair trial: DMK

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI NOV. 18. The DMK president, M.Karunanidhi, has described the Supreme Court transferring the wealth case against the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, to Karnataka as vindication of the party's stand that a fair trail is not possible in Tamil Nadu.

Reacting to the direction here today, he said the party filed a petition in the apex court and that it feared that if a trial was conducted in Tamil Nadu, the Chief Minister would make an all-out effort to get a favourable judgment, pressurising the police and judiciary.

"Now the path has been cleared for a fair trail and a right judgment". The order showed that judiciary could not be influenced. Asked whether he demanded the resignation of the Chief Minister on moral grounds, Mr. Karunanidhi said she should study cases of those who acted on moral grounds.

On the change in TNCC leadership, Mr. Karunanidhi, in a statement, said the DMK was not making any effort to have an alliance with the Congress. Hence, it was least bothered about the change.

Whether he considered the removal of E.V.K. S. Elangovan, a known critic of the AIADMK, as a setback to future alliance with the Congress, Mr.Karunanidhi said the question was irrelevant. Confirming that there was no change in the party's proposed Statewide stir against the Prevention of Terrorism Act on December 1, the DMK leader said the DMK stood by the demand that the MDMK leader, Vaiko and others arrested under the Act, be released.

Referring to recent amendments to the POTA, Mr. Karunanidhi said he could react only after December 2 when the State Government was expected to send its reply to a show cause notice issued by the Central Review Committee.

Welcoming the Prime Minister, A.B.Vajpayee's initiative in demanding the resignation of Dilip Singh Judev, former Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests, and a CBI enquiry into the episode, he said it showed that the Prime Minister did not want to protect anyone. The charge against the Minister would not affect the NDA Government image, Mr. Karunanidhi said.

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Path cleared for fair trial: DMK