The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : CPI cannot question PMK’s expulsion, says Pandian

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Tamil Nadu

CPI cannot question PMK’s expulsion, says Pandian

Special Correspondent

“Alliance was not a political front with any permanent mechanism”

CHENNAI: The State unit of the Communist Party of India on Wednesday sought to distance itself from the expulsion of the Pattali Makkal Katchi from the Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA) saying that the action was solely that of the DMK and the CPI could not question it.

Talking to presspersons here, State secretary D. Pandian said the alliance was not a political front with any permanent mechanism or programme, but an arrangement made during the elections.

Recalling the exit of the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, led by Vaiko, from the DPA in the eleventh hour ahead of the 2006 Assembly polls and the entry of Viduthalai Chiruthaikal Katchi (VCK) led by Thol Thirumavalavan after the elections, he likened the front to a self-financing college where students were allowed join and leave as they wish.

“We are not collectively functioning,” he said, responding to persistent queries from the reporters on the CPI’s role in the DPA.

Mr. Pandian said his party had no idea about the reasons that actually led to the DMK’s decision to snap ties with the PMK.

Recalling the PMK’s argument that the controversy over former legislator J. Guru’s speech against the Chief Minister was settled some months ago, Mr. Pandian said the “PMK could have been expelled for something else.” “But we don’t know what it is,” he added.

Fishermen’s problems

The CPI leader who took a journey from Nagapattinam to Rameswaram, covering 150 villages and 450 km between June 25 and 30 to study the problems of fishermen, said: “it is only Tamil fishermen in the entire world who are falling prey to a neighbouring country’s Navy.”

“We presume they are targeted because of the political situation in Sri Lanka. Let the Sri Lankan Navy arrest the fishermen and pursue a case as per law if they trespass into their area. But we cannot allow firing on them,” he said. “Killing the fishermen and sending their bodies to Tamil Nadu is an insult to India’s sovereignty,” he added.

Mr. Pandian said India should get an assurance from Sri Lanka that the country’s Navy would not resort to firing on Tamil fishermen. “We must also re-assert our rights over Katchatheevu. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is likely to attend the SAARC conference, should talk to the Sri Lankan government to put an end to the shooting on fishermen.” The CPI would soon meet Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi with a report on fishermen’s problem, he said.

Asked about the shortage of petroleum products, he said: “An artificial scarcity is being created by some vested interests.

The government ought to have anticipated the crisis and should have acted against this anti-social activity.”

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