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Karunanidhi's turnaround stuns BJP

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

It is an axiom that often the worst trouble comes from within.

Dravida Munnetra Kazagham chief K Karunanidhi's abrupt albeit controversial turnaround Sunday suggesting the division of Sri Lanka on the lines of Czech and Slovakia if its political leadership did not grant more powers to the ethnic Tamils has sent Bharatiya Janata Party leaders scurrying for cover.

In keeping with the party's recent practice of not holding routine press briefings when the ruling National Democratic Alliance is confronted with unpalatable developments, there were none today. Party spokesman Venkaiah Naidu and senior vice-president K Jana Krishnamurthy were reportedly out of station.

However, BJP vice-president Jagdish Prasad Mathur made a valiant attempt to pull the DMK supremo out of troubled waters.

" I think Karunanidhiji made a personal statement pertaining to Sri Lanka and it cannot be attributed to the National Democratic Alliance government. It is an acknowledged fact that many of us are sentimental over the issue of ethnic Tamils in Sri Lanka, especially our brethren in Tamil Nadu. Sometimes, emotion gets the better of us on sensitive issues. Therefore, too much need not be made of this episode," Mathur contended.

However, he also pointed out that the DMK attended the recent cabinet meeting on Sri Lanka where it was decided that India would not intervene in the crisis unless specifically requested by the Lankan government.

However, the Congress, which has been having a running battle with the BJP on various issues, today grabbed the chance to put the saffron party on the mat.

" It is strange that NDA partners are speaking in different voices on the Sri Lanka crisis. It clearly indicates a lack of cohesion in the alliance. It is for the prime minister to brief the NDA on its stand on Sri Lanka," asserted Congress general secretary and working committee member Ghulam Nabi Azad.

He pointed out that his party's policy on Sri Lanka was clear "and we are not for its division." However, the Lankan government should consider the interests of its ethnic minorities, chiefly Tamils, Azad said.

Tamil Nadu Congress general secretary E V K S Elangovan, who was appointed state Pradesh Congress Committee chief by party president Sonia Gandhi today, was besieged with questions on Karunanidhi's statement.

" Karunanidhi appears to be confused on the issue. He has changed his statement thrice in the last few days. Let him make up his mind and finalise his position. Then we will react," Elangovan told reporters.

He said his personal stand was in consonance with his party's. He said Sri Lanka's sovereignty and territorial integrity was non-negotiable and the alliance partners of the NDA better reconcile themselves to this.

Party spokesman Ajit Jogi pointed out that the lack of co-ordination among the NDA partners had often placed themselves at loggerheads. Karunanidhi's outburst yesterday was an example. The other prominent one was the NDA partners' apparent disenchantment with the price hike, Jogi pointed out.

According to him, party leaders like Sushil Kumar Shinde, Pranab Mukherjee, Jitendra Prasada, Ambika Soni, Dr Manmohan Singh, Dr Ratnakar Pandey, R S Surjewala, K M Khan and Anil Shastri today fanned out to various pockets of the capital to appraise the people of the hardships caused by the price hike in essential commodities including fertiliser. Jogi said the agitation all over the country had elicited a good response. "We will continue the agitation till the government is forced to rollback prices."

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