30 June 2001

NDA RUSHING TEAM TO TAMIL NADU: UNION CABINET'S REVIEW ON SUNDAY

From Jal Khambata

NEW DELHI: An unprecedented dilemma gripped the President and the Union Government following manhandling and arrests of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK chief M Karunanidhi as well as two Union Ministers -- Murasoli Maran and T. R. Balu -- in Chennai on Saturday in an alleged corruption case foisted on the DMK Government by a revengeful Chief Minister J Jayalaitha who came to power only seven weeks ago.

Karunanidhi was arrested in the early hours of Saturday while Maran and Balu were put under arrest in the evening stunning the political parties across the country. Getting no report from Governor Fatima Beevi or State Chief Secretary P Shankar despite frantic calls from Delhi, a Home Ministry team was rushed to Chennai Saturday night to assess the law and order situation badly hit since after Karunanidhi's arrest.

While the Governor's report was still awaited by the Centre and an SOS was sent Saturday night seeking the report latest by 9 AM on Sunday to enable it to be discussed by the Union Cabinet convened on Sunday at noon to take necessary steps and an emergency meeting of the ruling NDA, divided over hitting back with imposition of the President's rule, authorised Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee Saturday evening to take the strongest measures against the political vendetta unleashed by Jayalalitha.

Even as all parties, including Congress supporting the Jayalalitha Government, and President K. R. Narayanan expressed shock over the "unfortunate" development, and the NDA was figuring out its strategy, the Tamil Nadu police went ahead with the arrest of Maran from Apollo Hospital in Chennai and later Balu, indicating further intensification of confrontation between the Centre and the state.

The President, after watching the "ghastly" TV clippings of the arrest of Karunanidhi and his dragging by Police, phoned Tamil Nadu Governor Fatima Beewi to express his disgust and sought a report from her. He also phoned Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and told him to keep him posted with the health status of the 77-year old Karunanidhi and that of Maran suffering heart problems.

An emergency meeting of the ruling National Democratic Alliance decided on Saturday evening to rush a team led by NDA convener George Fernandes to Chennai for an on the spot assessment of the situation following manhandling and arrest of two Union Ministers -- Murasoli Maran and T. R. Balu -- by the police and arrest of DMK chief M. Karunanidhi in Tamil Nadu and former Chief Minister of Pondicherry Janakiraman.

The meeting authorised the Prime Minister to take strongest possible steps in the matter. Members attending the meeting also expressed unhappiness over the Governor not sending her report to the Centre until late in the evening despite the President himself calling for the report.

The meeting also discussed the role of Tamil Nadu Governor Fatima Biwi, who it was felt had "shown undue haste in swearing in J. Jayalalitha as Chief Minister recently." The meeting reportedly decided to replace her within a fortnight or so ahead of her retirement due in January next year.

The resolution passed by the NDA meeting said: "We, the constituents of the NDA, strongly condemn the arrest of Dr M. Karunanidhi who brings to his public life decades of service to the state and the nation. The inhuman way in which such a senior public figure was arrested on contrived charges demonstrates that this is entirely an act of political vengeance. Such a vendetta has no place in democracy."

The Governor's report sought by the President can be even used for dismissal of the Jayalalitha government for the political vendetta she had unleashed but the NDA meeting could not be unanimous about such an action proposed by Civil Aviation Minister and Janata Party chief Sharad Yadav as also by Trichi Siva, a Rajya Sabha MP who represented DMK at the meeting.

Within hours of the arrest and manhandling of Karunanidhi by the police and injuries to Maran and Balu in police action, the Prime Minister got in touch with Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary P Shankar after he could not speak to Jayalalitha who was reportedly away on pilgrimage to Guravyaur Temple.

Side by side, the Union Home Secretary has been keeping in constant touch with the State Chief Secretary and the police chief. He has been keeping Union Home Minister Lal Krishan Advani, who is on an official visit to Istanbul, posted with the latest developments, besides keeping an eye on the law and order situation in the state.  

According to the Rashtrapati Bhawan sources, Narayanan spoke to the Tamil Nadu Governor for five minutes expressing shock and concern over the manhandling of former Chief Minister Karunanidhi. Narayanan saw the TV clippings in his study room Saturday morning and immediately summoned Union Home Secretary Kamal Pandey to Rasthrapathi Bhavan.

Later in the evening, the President spoke to Vajpayee over phone and expressed distress, and sought regular briefing on the health condition of Karunanidhi. He also invited the NDA partners of Tamil Nadu to brief him on Monday.

In a related development, Pandey conveyed the Centre's displeasure to Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary P Shankar for not sending the report of the developments. Shankar may be even reprimanded for this lapse, the sources said.

Home Minister Lal Krishna Advani told Aajtak TV from Turkey that the incident was most unfortunate and painful. Pointing out that the Centre never comes in the way of enforcement of the law, Advani said the State Government has all powers to take legal action against any unlawful act but there is "no scope for political vendetta." Moreover, he said Police should have behaved better while arresting Karunanidhi in view of the status of being the chief minister of the state only a few weeks ago as also in view of his age and health conditions. END