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Vajpayee doesn't belong to Poes Garden: Karunanidhi

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi is confident that Prime Minister A B Vajpayee would stand by the agreement reached at the chief ministers meeting to resolve the Cauvery dispute, and not buckle under pressure from the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazagham.

Speaking at a public meeting near Madras, he said despite the DMK and his government having differences with the Bharatiya Janata Party, he had high regards for Vajpayee and Union Home Minister L K Advani.

Stating that Vajpayee was not a leader of the "Poes Garden" (the residence of AIADMK supremo J Jayalalitha) alone, Karunanidhi said he was hopeful that the PM would not be bothered by the number game in Parliament.

The chief minister was referring to Jayalalitha's threat about reconsidering the AIADMK support to the BJP-led coalition at the Centre if the Union government did not notify the original draft scheme.

Karunanidhi denied he had betrayed the interests of Tamil Nadu by agreeing to the revised scheme.

Justifying his participation in the chief ministers meeting of the four riparian states, he said he did not want to loose an opportunity to resolve the century-old issue. Further, the all party meeting convened by him earlier had authorised him to take part in the Delhi conclave, he pointed out.

UNI

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