Southern States - Tamil Nadu

The unequivocal condemnation came from Jayalalithaa: Raja

By Our Tamil Nadu Bureau

CHENNAI Feb. 28. No other political leader in Tamil Nadu has condemned the killing of Ram Sevaks in Gujarat as strongly as the AIADMK supremo, Jayalalithaa, has done, the State BJP said here today.

Addressing presspersons here, its general secretary, H. Raja, claimed that ``most political parties and pseudo-secularists'' fell over one another to issue statements condemning mass murders only if the entire involved the minorities.

Such sentiments were missing when members of the majority community were targeted, he alleged.

Asked whether he was unhappy the National Democratic Alliance constituents in the State not having reacted in the way the BJP wanted them to respond, he said he was merely welcoming Ms.Jayalaithaa's act unequivocally condemning the ghastly act.

He refused to comment on the possibility of this creating fissures in the State NDA.

Condemning the incident strongly, the DMK president, M. Karunanidhi, offered his condolences to the next of kin of those killed. The Union and State Governments should take steps immediately to stop such incidents, he said.

In Madurai, the TMC president, G. K. Vasan, said the Government should take appropriate steps to prevent a repeat of the Gujarat train massacre, going beyond political considerations.

Talking to newsmen, Mr. Vasan described the burning of the Sabarmati Express in which 58 persons were killed, as a ``saddening event'' and said it was the duty of the Government to take steps with the utmost care in order to ensure that such incidents did not recur.

The Tamil Maanila Muslim League, condemning the incident, said the ghastly act only underlined the fact that innocent people got killed for irresponsible statements made by leaders of political and sectarian parties.

Its president, Sheikh Dawood, said those responsible should be dealt with severely under the law.

The Jamaat-E-Islami Hind, (TN and Pondy), demanded that the Government institute a judicial enquiry into the incident. Those found guilty should be duly punished, its secretary-general, Muhammad Jafar said.

The Government should take precautionary measures so that the atmosphere in Gujarat did not worsen, he said.

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