Efforts on to sort out differences in NDA

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, JAN. 10. The dialogue set in motion by the PMK founder- leader, Dr. S. Ramadoss, with the DMK president, Mr. M. Karunanidhi, to sort out the differences within the NDA in Tamil Nadu vis-a-vis the Tamizhaga Rajiv Congress (TRC), appears to be in a very delicate stage.

``Our meeting itself is significant,'' retorted Mr. Karunanidhi to reporters at the DMK headquarters here today, after he had a near two-hour interaction with the district functionaries and partymen from Coimbatore. ``I have nothing more to add than what has appeared in the morning papers (on the meeting),'' he said declining to go into the details.

When asked about the ``contradictory'' statements of Dr. Ramadoss, and his insistence on the ouster of the TRC from the NDA in the State, Mr. Karunanidhi said, ``you will have to address these issues to him.'' Though party circles are rather puzzled at this sudden development, especially because the PMK had blamed the DMK for its conflict with the TRC, they see a mood of rapprochement in Dr. Ramadoss. However, the PMK leader, while keen on mending fences with the DMK, is in no mood to drop his demand for the expulsion of the TRC from the NDA. Indeed, when Mr. Karunanidhi specifically asked him whether there was any change in the PMK stand on the TRC, Dr. Ramadoss had replied that he still stood by what he had stated in the NDA meeting on April 28 last.

During that meeting, Dr. Ramadoss had insisted that the TRC should not be allowed to remain in the NDA if it continued to attack the PMK.

Talking to The Hindu, Dr. Ramadoss said there was no dilution of the PMK position. Asked if he would be satisfied if the TRC refrained from indulging in further criticism of the PMK, Dr. Ramadoss replied in the negative. The TRC, he said, would not be able to give up its anti-PMK attitude. Besides, the TRC had also attacked the MDMK, another constituent of the NDA. Indeed, the TRC had called for a ban on both the PMK and the MDMK for their LTTE links. In such a scenario, there could be no rapprochement with the TRC, Dr. Ramadoss said.

Actually, during the meeting, Mr. Karunanidhi had suggested that Dr. Ramadoss ward off all questions from mediapersons relating to the PMK stand on the TRC. However, the PMK leader turned this down saying he could not be expected to remain silent to repeated questions on the hostile attitude of an ally.

According to Dr. Ramadoss, during the April meeting of the NDA, there was an ``unwritten agreement'' that Mr. Karunanidhi would have the powers to expel the TRC from the NDA if its president, Mr. Vazhapadi Ramamurthi, persisted with his intransigent stance. All that the PMK wants is for Mr. Karunanidhi to act on the basis of this agreement.

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