— Photo: V. Ganesan

AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa addresses the press in Chennai on Thursday.

CHENNAI: General secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) Jayalalithaa on Thursday opposed the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal on the ground that it would "undermine the sovereignty of the country."

She told reporters here that India should not be a signatory to any agreement that harmed the country's freedom, sovereignty and progress. The agreement between the two countries and its provisions were unacceptable, she said, adding that she would shortly come out with a detailed statement on "this very big subject."

Replying to a query, Ms. Jayalalithaa indicated that she was likely to campaign for the Samajwadi Party (SP) in the Assembly elections for Uttar Pradesh. Both Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav and SP general secretary Amar Singh had requested her to campaign in the State. "Most probably I will go," she said.

On her recent remark with regard to political realignment at the national level, she said that was only a "general statement. There is a time to elaborate and there is a time to keep silent. This is not the time to elaborate. When further developments take place, you will come to know."

Asked if she was extending a hand of friendship to the Congress, Ms. Jayalalithaa said, "I am not anyone's enemy. If others perceive me as their enemy, it is not my fault." On reports of Union Agriculture Minister and Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar regretting having made Congress president Sonia Gandhi's foreign origin an issue, she said, "My opposition was to Ms. Sonia Gandhi becoming Prime Minister of India. When she is not taking up the post, there is no need to oppose her." She also made it clear that she did not oppose Ms. Gandhi as an individual. If the Congress accepted her leadership, despite her foreign origin, it was an inner party issue, she added.

On the death penalty slapped on Mohammad Afzal Guru in the Parliament attack case, she said the sentence had to be carried out, as nobody had the right to challenge the Supreme Court's order. To another question, Ms. Jayalalithaa said she was at a loss to understand why the death penalty served on some of the accused in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case had not been carried out.

She also recalled the cooperation and help extended by the previous AIADMK Government and the State police to the CBI, besides giving adequate protection to the judge of the special court to conduct the case. "The CBI, my [then] Government and the State police have been made out to be fools now," she said.

On MDMK general secretary Vaiko's recent remark on Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka, she said, "Being allies does not mean that we follow the same ideology. I think it is quite apparent when Communists are supporting the Congress."

It had been the AIADMK's policy that the Sri Lanka Government should ensure dignity, full rights and safety of the island Tamils. "We will continue to oppose terrorism in any form," she said.

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