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AIADMK MPs will press for Karunanidhi's ouster, says Muthiah

Union Surface Transport Minister Sedapatti R Muthiah today asserted that he and other All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MPs would press for the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government's dismissal as the law and order in Tamil Nadu had deteriorated.

Talking to newsmen outside the special court in Madras, where he appeared in a disproportionate wealth case, he said the MPs would also demand action against Chief Minister M Karunanidhi based on the findings of the Sarkaria Commission.

The Commission had held that Karunanidhi had received "lakhs of rupees as bribe" from a well known businessman in Madras, he claimed.

He said the AIADMK MPs had lodged a complaint in this regard with the state secretariat police after the Central Bureau of Investigation, which they had approached, informed them that action could be initiated only on the state government's recommendation. But there has been no response from the police for the last six months.

Asked if he would resign from the Union Cabinet as he was facing corruption charges, Muthiah retorted, "Why should I resign? Let Karunanidhi step down first".

When pointed out that Union Home Minister L K Advani had resigned when he was chargesheeted in the hawala case, he argued that Advani was chargesheeted along with other accused in that case. But the cases against him were foisted only out of "political vendetta", he claimed.

Asked about Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha's reported statement that corruption cases against the erstwhile AIADMK ministers would not be withdrawn, Muthiah said, "We are innocent. We will prove this before the court."

Asked about Prime Minister A B Vajpayee's direction to his Cabinet colleagues to declare their list of assets before March 31, Muthiah said he would declare the same list of assets which he had placed before the court.

UNI

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