The Hindu : Front Page : Violence planned by AIADMK: Karunanidhi

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Sunday, Oct 15, 2006
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Violence planned by AIADMK: Karunanidhi

Special Correspondent

"This time it was less compared to 2001 polls"

PROVING HIS POINT: Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi showing the photograph of a DMK worker, injured in poll violence, at a press conference in Chennai on Saturday. — Photo: S.S. Kumar

CHENNAI: Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi has alleged that violence in the city during the corporation elections was "planned and instigated" by the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.

Addressing mediapersons here on Saturday, Mr. Karunanidhi claimed that the AIADMK, through its visual media, directed its cadres to send protest telegrams to the President and the Human Rights Commission right from Friday morning. This exposed the AIADMK's game plan.

The Government was contemplating legal action against AIADMK general secretary Jayalalitha for instigating her volunteers to resort to violence.

Poll percentage

Admitting that there were reports of some incidents of violence in the city, Mr. Karunanidhi said large-scale violence planned by the Opposition in the city was successfully thwarted by the police. The increase in poll percentage in the Chennai Corporation from 36 in the 2001 local body elections to 53 per cent in the current election clearly indicated the effective steps taken by the Government for a free and fair poll. DMK party workers were the worst affected by Friday's violence let loose by the Opposition parties, he said. A number of party cadres, who were seriously injured, were undergoing treatment at various hospitals in the city. To prove his point, the Chief Minister showed photographs of injured partymen to the newsmen. He charged that AIADMK MLA P.K. Sekar Babu led "violent" groups.

The Chief Minister claimed that violence in the city this time was less compared to the 2001 local body elections.

In the previous elections, re-polling was ordered in 43 booths in the city while it was only 17 this time. Similarly police firing and lathi charge took place in two places each in the State in 2001 elections. DMK cadres were the target of attack in both the elections, he said.

The Chief Minister said the government would legally face the case filed by the AIADMK in the High Court.

Referring to the Communist Party of India (Marxist) complaint against the DMK, Mr. Karunanidhi said the State-level committee constituted by the party for seat negotiation with the constituent parties could not function effectively and that led to misunderstanding between the two parties. He said things would be resolved soon.

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