Jaya keeps options open
Ready for even tie-ups with Cong
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Oct 10 — The AIADMK supremo, Ms Jayalalitha, today sought to move to the centre stage of national politics again with her pronouncement that she was keeping all options open including a tie-up with the Congress or the third front as an alternative to the BJP but also underlined that there was no need for her party to come out of the Vajpayee government.

Addressing mediapersons during the "Face the Media" programme at Press Club of India, Ms Jayalalitha said in reply to a question that "in politics it is never wise to rule out anything".

"A sensible and wise political leader should always adopt the strategy of keeping all options open", the AIADMK leader said.

In a demonstration of her political acumen , Ms Jayalalitha made a tactical move when she refused to answer any question regarding the Congress President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi. "I will not answer any question regarding Ms Sonia Gandhi today", she said retracting from her public statement a few months back that a foreigner like Sonia Gandhi cannot hold the office of Prime Minister.

Replying to a pointed question whether her party would tie-up with the Congress or the Tamil Maanila Congress in case of the fall of the Vajpayee government, the AIADMK supremo said: "I am keeping all options open as a good strategist."

At the same time, she also made it categorical that there was no threat to the BJP-led coalition government and her support would continue as long as the government stuck to its pro-people policies and continued to work for the welfare of the weaker sections of society.

During her hour-long interaction with mediapersons, Ms Jayalalitha replied to a wide-spectrum of questions from relationship with the BJP, her periodic threats to the Central Government, charges of corruption and the demand for dismissal of the Karunanidhi government.

Strongly defending her role during the last six months, Ms Jayalalitha denied that she had ever given a threat to the Vajpayee government. "It was a mere media hype", she said adding that she had only raised "legitimate" interests of Tamil Nadu and if it was perceived as threats then it was not her fault.

The AIADMK leader dismissed a question on her efforts to emerge as an alternative power centre by hosting a tea party to allies. These consultations were aimed at making the government function effectively, she said.

Asking the government to bring in a constitutional amendment for empowering the Centre to order a CBI inquiry in cases involving national security such as the serial blasts in Coimbatore without any request from the state, Ms Jayalalitha said the Tamil Nadu government was unwilling to seek a CBI probe into the violent bombing incidents of February 14 despite the fact that the incident had international ramifications.

She said about 200 terrorists trained in Afghanistan were "roaming about" in Tamil Nadu and other southern states and international terrorist Osama bin Laden perhaps had a "hidden hand" in the Coimbatore blasts.

This had come to light following the recent arrest and interrogation of a Coimbatore blasts suspect from Hyderabad, she said adding that in view of the "startling revelation", it was high time the Centre took serious action to counter the activities of Osama bin Laden.

To a question whether India should resort to bombing terrorist bases in places like Afghanistan, she said the Government should first gather information and conduct a thorough investigation before evolving any strategy to deal with the problem. "Any strident action" by the Centre would be justified as "national security gets priority" over all other issues, she said.

Ms Jayalalitha said she was often misinterpreted by the media as "she has become everybody’s whipping girl".

"The media has been unkind to me in the past but has now become kind and says that I have softened my stand vis-a-vis Vajpayee government indicating that both the interpretations were off the mark", she said.

She strongly denied that she was the reason for the latest postponement of the Cabinet expansion. "I have conveyed my proposal to the Prime Minister about the Cabinet expansion but that is a matter between me and him", she said.

Maintaining her calm and cool, Ms Jayalalitha said that it was not correct to describe her as the "most corrupt Chief Minister of the country". All cases of corruption have been filed by the state government, she said adding that these cases were being fought in the courts and she was not running away from them.