The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Jayalalithaa acted against democratic practices: CPI

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Nov 01, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Jayalalithaa acted against democratic practices: CPI

By Our Staff Reporter

TIRUNELVELI, OCT. 31. The Communist Party of India today demanded the resignation of the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, for violation of the oath of secrecy by making public the conversation between her and the Union Home Minister, Shivraj Patil, over the transfer of the Governor.

Speaking to reporters here, the CPI State secretary, R. Nallakannu, said such a breach of trust would only cause distrust among the people occupying higher positions of the State's administration. The Chief Minister, on moral grounds, should quit the office immediately as she acted against democratic practices, he said.

On the outgoing Governor, P.S. Ramamohan Rao's claim that he had fulfilled all democratic duties as a constitutional functionary, Mr. Nallakannu said Mr. Rao did not act on any petition submitted by the Opposition whenever law and order `was under threat'.

"When the parties appealed to him for his intervention as the Deputy Mayor of the Chennai Corporation discharged the duties of the Mayor, he failed to act. When the farmers of the delta region were affected by successive drought, he did not act." Mr. Nallakannu also criticised Mr. Rao for leaving for Athens to witness Olympic games, without attending Independence Day celebrations.

Farm loans

The CPI leader came down heavily on the State Government for refusing to give fresh loans to farmers though Ms. Jayalalithaa made an announcement in this connection.

Asserting that the Democratic Progressive Alliance in the State was strong and it would continue for the next Assembly elections also, Mr. Nallakannu said the MPs belonging to the DPA would push the proposed hi-tech park project at Nanguneri in all their meetings with the Prime Minister.

`Action will be taken'

Our Erode Staff Reporter reports:

In Erode last night, E.V.K.S. Elangovan, Union Minister of State for Industries and Commerce, said "the Centre will take appropriate action against Jayalalithaa, if she refuses to resign in the issue of release of details of the telephonic conversation between her and the Union Home Minister, on shifting of the Governor."

The Congress all-India general secretary, Salman Khurshid, also criticised the Chief Minister for the episode. He said: "it is a fight between the Constitution and herself and not against the Centre or Home Minister."

He said if the Congress decided to punish her, it would record all her conversations with others and publicise them.

He said making Tamil a Classical language, the Sethusamudram scheme and desalination project were the long-pending demands of the people of Tamil Nadu and these had been fulfilled by the Congress Government in the Centre.

On the occasion, several AIADMK members joined the Congress.

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

Tamil Nadu