Front Page   

DPA to work out strategy to counter `foreign' origin campaign

By Our Special Correspondent

MADURAI, MARCH 21. The State secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), N.Varadarajan, today said that Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA) partners would meet tomorrow the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president, M.Karunanidhi, to evolve a strategy to counter the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-Bharitiya Janata Party's campaign against the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, and the `foreign' origin issue.

The BJP's attempts at dragging Mr.Karunanidhi into an "unnecessary controversy", alleging that he agreed to bar citizens of foreign origin from holding high offices in the legislature, the executive and the judiciary, would also be discussed. The meeting would take place shortly before the DMK chief begins his campaign.

Raking up the `foreign' origin issue only betrayed the "weakness and political bankruptcy" of the AIADMK-BJP alliance. The campaign would cut no ice in the State, he said.

"All parties in the DPA have accepted that Ms. Gandhi is a citizen of the country and she belongs to a family, which contributed immensely to the freedom and progress of the country," Mr. Varadarajan said.

The DPA complained to the Election Commission that the AIADMK with the "connivance of officials including Collectors" was trying to convert self-help groups into "vote-catching agencies," he said.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page

News: Front Page | National | Tamil Nadu | Andhra Pradesh | Karnataka | Kerala | New Delhi | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary | Updates: Breaking News |

Stories in this Section

• Rahul to contest from Amethi, Sonia shifts to Rae Bareli
• It was expected: Jaitley
• Inventing a tribe to further political ends
• Bangarappa, Arif Khan in BJP list
• India rebounds well to square series
• DPA to work out strategy to counter `foreign' origin campaign
• Bid to find alternative to Vajpayee in BJP, says Karunanidhi
• Congress, JMM arrive at poll pact
• Afghan Minister assassinated
• 500 Maoists killed: Army
• 9 militants killed in J&K

Copyright © 2004, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu