The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Ramadoss accuses AIADMK of indulging in competitive politics

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 22, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Ramadoss accuses AIADMK of indulging in competitive politics

Special Correspondent

"Stir announced only after DPA said it would seek Manmohan's intervention"

CHENNAI: : The Pattali Makkal Katchi on Thursday criticised the All- India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam for indulging in "competitive politics."

Referring to the ruling AIADMK's call for demonstration on Friday to protest the Centre's "failure" on the Cauvery dispute, PMK founder S. Ramadoss said Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had announced the protest programme only after the Democratic Progressive Alliance had said that its delegation would meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on July 25 to seek his intervention in the matter.

"It is because of this approach of Ms. Jayalalithaa that Tamil Nadu has suffered heavily, losing its rights," he said.

The Chief Minister should have come out with a statement that her party would also join the DPA delegation. Had she said so, it would have helped the cause of the State.

Complex issue

As the Cauvery dispute was a complex matter, it had to be handled, politically and legally, to achieve success. "The State Government has more responsibilities than the Opposition in this matter," he said.

Endorsing the views of the former Advocate General, K. Subramanian, on the matter, Dr. Ramadoss said the State Government should have moved the Supreme Court immediately after the meeting of the Cauvery Monitoring Committee, wherein no agreement was reached on distress-sharing formula.

He also wondered what benefits had accrued to Tamil Nadu from the cases filed by the Government three years ago.

"What is the point in organising a stir against the Centre now just because the elections are approaching?" he asked.

On the Chief Minister's announcement of promulgating an ordinance to restore the status quo in the Criminal Procedure Code, Dr. Ramadoss said one week had lapsed since then. "Why the ordinance has not been issued? What is the reason?"

CET issue

He also asked why she had not come out with an ordinance on the common entrance test issue, just as she had announced on the Cr. P.C. issue.

Referring to a report on the increasing migration from the State, Dr. Ramadoss said this had only shown that Tamil Nadu stood first in poverty and unemployment.

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