Tamil Nadu - Chennai   

Jayalalithaa will remember minorities only during polls: Karunanidhi

Chennai: Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Thursday said that All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) general secretary Jayalalithaa would remember the welfare of minorities only at the time of elections.

In a statement, Mr. Karunanidhi said that it was Ms. Jayalalithaa who introduced the anti-conversion law in October 2002 jeopardising the rights of minorities despite protest by all political parties. The majority in the legislature helped the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam to enact the law, he said.

Ms. Jayalalithaa claims that she repealed the Act through an ordinance in 2004 but the bill to repeal it was not placed before the Assembly in the ensuing session. In fact, the ordinance was also promulgated only after the drubbing in the 2004 Lok Sabha polls, he said.

If Ms. Jayalalithaa had concerns for the rights of the minorities, why was the bill to replace the ordinance not placed before the Legislature within six weeks of it being convened, Mr. Karunanidhi asked.

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