UNI
Chennai, May 14: Union Information Technology and Communications Minister and DMK leader Dayanidhi Maran, who had resigned from the post in the wake of the showcause notice issued to him by the party yesterday, today said some vested interests in the party had made use of the May nine Dinakaran attack in Madurai to engineer his ouster.
Addressing a press conference at his Gopalapuram residence here in the wake of sending his resignation to the Prime Minister soon after the DMK Administrative Committee decided to issue notice for alleged anti-party activities, he said he was, however, keen on continuing as an MP and working for the people of his Central Madras constituency.
However, if his leader, DMK President and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, did not want him to continue as an MP, he would give up that also, he said, adding that ''I put in my papers to the Prime Minister the very next minute the resolution was passed.'' Asked if his style of functioning had sent wrong signals to seniors in the party that he was irreverential towards them, Maran merely said ''that's your guess.''
When asked if he was forced to resign without giving an opportunity to explain about the allegation of indulging in anti-party activities, he said ''I will meet my leader, I will put forth my position. But, so far an opportunity has not been given to me. I don't know why.'' Asked if the action against him was due to the Dinakaran attack incident, Maran said ''I have nothing to do with Sun TV or Dinakaran. A decision has been taken by my party and I have resigned.'' He denied that he had spoken to Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil soon after the incident, requesting him to take action. ''I was answering questions in Parliament when the incident took place.''
AIADMK demands President's rule in TN
UNI
Chennai: The Opposition All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) on Monday submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, seeking the dismissal of the DMK Government forthwith and imposition of President's rule in Tamil Nadu over the May 9 Madurai violence.
AIADMK Rajya Sabha MPs sought action rising above political compulsions and keeping in view the Constitutional mandate provided under Article 356 to ''save the people of Tamil Nadu''.
The 12 MPs contended that law and order had totally failed in the State and an anarchic public order situation prevailed.
The memorandum claimed that seven extra-constitutional power centres were functioning within the family of Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and exclusively guiding the daily administration of the State Government.
Stating that the overall law and order situation in the State was beyond repair and could not be set right by any ordinary measure, the MPs cited as examples the ''terrorism and rowdyism let loose by the DMK'' during the October 2006 local body elections, smuggling of arms and ammunition to LTTE cadres in neighbouring Sri Lanka and Naxals operating in other States.
On the Dinakaran attack incident, they claimed that a feud had broken out between the family of Karunanidhi and the Marans due to ''loads and loads of ill-gotten money procured through political pressure tactics and corrupt practices in public life''.
They alleged that Karunanidhi's elder son M K Azhagiri was directly involved in the attack in connivance with the police. But, all those nabbed were let off the same evening.
Karunanidhi had totally lost control over the police in the State and was unable to control his own family members, they charged, seeking imposition of President's rule under Article 356.