The Hindu : Front Page : We need more time to decide on joining government: Karunanidhi

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 17, 2004

Front Page

Front Page

We need more time to decide on joining government: Karunanidhi

By J. Venkatesan

The Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, and the DMK chief, M. Karunanidhi, during their meeting at her residence in New Delhi on Sunday. Looking on (from left) are the TNCC leader, G.K. Vasan, and the senior Congress leader, Manmohan Singh. — AP

NEW DELHI, MAY 16. Departing from its earlier stand, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) today indicated the possibility of its joining a Congress-led Government at the Centre, maybe after a few days or a few weeks.

The party chief, M. Karunanidhi, gave this hint after a 45-minute meeting with the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, at her 10 Janpath residence here.

Mr. Karunanidhi told reporters that he had handed over to Ms. Gandhi a letter of support by 16 party MPs addressed to the President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. He said: "I conveyed to Ms. Gandhi the party working committee's decision not to participate in the government. She requested me to reconsider the party's stand and to join the government."

Mr. Karunanidhi said: "I told her that we are not saying that we will not join the government. We only need some more time to think and take a decision in this regard." Asked how long he would take, he said, "It may be a few days or a few weeks." Asked why there was a delay, he said: "We will take a decision after proper thinking since only yesterday we decided not to join the government."

On other allies in the Democratic Progressive Alliance being part of the new government, he said, "we fought the elections together and each party is free to take an independent view on it."

Asked about the DMK's demands, he said the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) should be repealed soon after the government was formed; Tamil should be declared a classical language; an amicable settlement of the Cauvery dispute should be found and the Central Value-Added Tax abolished.

Later, emerging out of a meeting with the former Prime Minister, V.P. Singh, Mr. Karunanidhi suggested that as a first step towards resolving the Cauvery dispute, the new Prime Minister immediately talk to the Chief Ministers of the States concerned.

He said he had handed over his party's manifesto to Ms. Gandhi and the senior Congress leader, Manmohan Singh. Ms. Gandhi assured him that the points raised by the DMK in the manifesto would be incorporated in the Common Minimum Programme (CMP), which is being drafted.

Dayanidhi Maran, son of the late Murasoli Maran, former Union Minister; the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president, G.K. Vasan; and the Congress general secretary in-charge of Tamil Nadu, Kamal Nath, were present at the meeting. Prior to the conclusion of the meeting, Mr. Karunanidhi, Mr. Dayanidhi Maran and Ms. Gandhi were closeted for about 10 minutes. Mr. Kamal Nath said the meeting took place in a cordial atmosphere.

About his talks with Mr. Singh, Mr. Karunanidhi said: I respect Mr. Singh and I explained to him what transpired between me and Ms. Gandhi. Mr. Singh wanted the DMK to join the new government and I told him that I need some more time to take a decision."

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