The Hindu : Front Page : Court order on bandh adhered to: Karunanidhi

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Oct 02, 2007
ePaper

Front Page

Front Page

Court order on bandh adhered to: Karunanidhi

R.K. Radhakrishnan

CHENNAI:Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi asserted on Monday that there was no breakdown of the constitutional machinery in the State.

When journalists asked him at the Secretariat if there was such a breakdown, he retorted: “May be, for you [there is]. Not for us.”

Mr. Karunanidhi said the government followed the order of the Supreme Court — restraining the DMK and its allies from going ahead with a bandh — in letter and in spirit. Normal life remained unaffected in the State.

The Democratic Progressive Alliance, he said, did not violate the order. There was no case against the observance of a fast by him and other DPA leaders.

Inaugurating the fast in the morning, he said that if the Supreme Court had ordered that the fast should not be held at anytime of the day [on Monday], he was willing to prevail upon the leaders of the alliance to call it off.

He told the people who had come to observe the hunger strike that he was not fasting in deference to the “orders” of the leaders in the DPA. (Mr. Karunanidhi was unaware of the observations of the Supreme Court made in the morning even as he concluded his speech.)

Chief Secretary L.K. Tripathy told The Hindu that all assurances given by the government to the court were adhered to.

Offices functioned

“The offices functioned normally. The Chief Minister attended office.

“All of us attended office. Barring one minor incident over bursting crackers in Tiruvarur [14 persons were injured in a clash in the town, following which police burst teargas shells], there was no problem across the State.”

Asked if he would be making a submission before the Supreme Court to this effect, the Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary said he would do so if he was asked to.

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

Front Page