Naidu-Moopanar-Karunanidhi meet spurs speculation
United Front convener and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's meeting with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and Tamil Maanila Congress president G K Moopanar has triggered speculation.
Today's meeting, involving the major regional constituents of the United Front, assumes significance in view of the likely fallout of the Justice Milap Chand Jain Commission's interim report which is said to have indicted the Dravida Munnetra Kazagham, among others, in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.
The Congress has already threatened the UF with grave consequences if the report is not tabled on the first day of the winter session beginning on November 19. And if the UF accedes the demand -- it hardly has a choice -- the DMK is likely to be in deep trouble.
Are Karunanidhi, Moopanar and Naidu preparing for such an eventuality? What is there strategy?
It was not immediately known what transpired at the
meeting. Naidu said it was personal and he could not disclose the details.
The discussion between the leaders is believed to be related to the Jain panel report.
Naidu said that, far from abetting the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Karunanidhi himself had faced threat from the Tigers. The Centre itself informed the then Jayalalitha government about the threat in 1993.
He recalled that Rajiv Gandhi had undertaken 10 statewide tours during Karunanidhi's regime from 1989 to 1991 and that he had returned from the state safely.
Certain political parties, such as the Bharatiya Janata
Party which had lost face in Uttar Pradesh, were trying to
take political advantage of the issue. But they will not succeed,
he said.
Naidu alleged that the leak was politically motivated
and averred that it could have occurred from the Commission itself.
Asked to spell out the UF's stand in case the Congress pressurised Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral to drop the DMK from the government, Naidu said he would not like to speculate.
Asked to comment on Justice Jain's reported statement
that the report would have political ramifications, Naidu said
that ''was his desire''.
EARLIER REPORTS:
UF sits on 'time-bomb'
Govt will ask Jain panel to provide evidence
Jain report will have serious implications: Congress
Jain panel interim report indicts Karunanidhi, V P Singh, Chandra Shekhar
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