It could have been civilised, says Krishna

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, JULY 2. The Karnataka Chief Minister, Mr. S.M. Krishna, today criticised the manner in which the former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Mr. M. Karunanidhi, was arrested and felt that the whole operation could have been conducted in a ``civilised manner''.

Nobody expected any grace in the arrest operation, but minimum civility should have been extended.

There was no need to take him into custody in the dead of the night, Mr. Krishna said. Mr. Karunanidhi was chief minister for four times and would not have run away, he added.

Asked if imposition of President's rule in Tamil Nadu would be justified, he said ``I don't want to jump the gun. I would not sit in judgment over the issue.'' He said it was a ``justiciable issue''.

However, he refused to comment on the recall of the Tamil Nadu Governor, Ms. Fathima Beevi. ``I do not know what the Centre expected from her. I do not know why the Governor did not send an independent report.''

Asked if he saw ``personal vendetta'' in the arrest of Mr. Karunanidhi, he said he did not have the details with him to comment.

Mr. Krishna made these observations when he came to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new Karnataka Lokayukta, Mr. Justice N. Venkatachala, at the Raj Bhavan.

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