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Tamil Nadu : Jaya talks of issue-based support to NDA |
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AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa is sending clear signals to the BJP-led NDA at the Centre that her party wants to get closer and distance itself from the opposition at the national level. The last time she had come to Delhi, Jaya had indicated that she was not for continuing the relations with the Congress forged during the time of Assembly elections. Jaya’s meeting with Leftist leaders like H.S. Surjeet was interpreted as a pointer that she may join the People’s Front. But she has now clarified that she is not part of the People’s Front.
“Our support or opposition to the Government in Parliament will depend on issues”, she said in Chennai. She was commenting on whether her party’s support to POTO meant support to the BJP-led Government at the Centre. She said the AIADMK was an independent party and would support or oppose the Government on issues. She refused to reply to a question on reports of cracks in the relationship between BJP and DMK. Asked whether her party was part of the People’s Front floated by the Samajwadi Party and the CPI-M, Jayalalithaa said, “we are not part of any front”. The BJP is still studying the implications of Jaya’s latest stand. Surprisingly, the remarks of Jayalalithaa came without the BJP sending any signals for improving ties. A few weeks ago, Jaya dropped a bombshell commenting that the BJP will ditch the DMK, the moment she announced that she was ready to join the NDA. On the VHP’s efforts to build a Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya, the AIADMK chief said her party was firm that all parties concerned should abide by the Supreme Court verdict.
The BJP’s ally at the Centre, DMK, is “fully” opposed to POTO. The party fears that Jayalalithaa, who orchestrated DMK chief Karunanidhi’s midnight arrest, may use the ordinance, which gives overriding powers to police, as another weapon against her political rivals.While the AIADMK is wholly supporting the BJP-led NDA Government on POTO, the DMK is not the only BJP ally in the southern states that is not too pleased with the Bill. The MDMK has suggested certain changes in it.
On record, the DMK has expressed its reservations only about the “misuse” of the ordinance, comparing it with the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) at the NDA meeting. The MDMK, another ally of the BJP, has sought amendments to Section 3(8) and Section 14 of the ordinance relating to media and confession. Party leader Vaiko said that there should be no scope for the Opposition to reject the Bill. Therefore, amendments should be introduced by the Government.
On its part, the AIADMK says it is all for POTO as it is against “Islamic terrorism” and “Left extremism.” Both Chief Minister O. Paneerselvam and Finance Minister C. Ponnaiyan who were in Delhi to attend the Chief Ministers’ conference on internal security over the weekend had assured wholehearted support to POTO. Denying a deal with the Centre on POTO, State Government sources said Jayalalithaa was opposed to “Islamic terrorism” since the serial blasts in Coimbatore on February 14,1998, when Home Minister L.K. Advani was targeted. The AIADMK has been alleging that the DMK is soft towards “Islamic terrorists”.
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