PMK threatens to pull out

CHENNAI, Oct 12 (PTI) — After a lull, differences in the AIADMK-led front in Tamil Nadu came to the fore today with the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) threatening to pull out its nominee in the Vajpayee Ministry, Mr Dalit Ezhilmalai if Mr Vazhapadi K. Ramamurthy was stripped of the Petroleum portfolio under pressure from AIADMK chief J. Jayalalitha.

PMK founder S. Ramadoss’ warning at a press conference here came in the wake of a reported demand by Ms Jayalalitha that the AIADMK should be given the Petroleum portfolio following her displeasure with Mr Ramamurthy who is said to be not toeing her political line.

Mr Ramadoss, who is cut up with Ms Jayalalitha for the "late" invitation given for the tea party hosted by her in Delhi last week for the BJP-led coalition allies, made it clear that there was no question of the PMK breaking its relationship with the AIADMK.

He said Ms Jayalalitha was probably annoyed by the PMK, the Tamizhaga Rajiv Congress and the MDMK favouring continuance of support to the Vajpayee Ministry even if the AIADMK were to withdraw it.

During her meeting with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on the aborted Cabinet expansion in Delhi last week, Ms Jayalalitha had reportedly demanded that the Petroleum Ministry be given to AIADMK nominee M. Thambidurai who is now holding the Law and Justice portfolio with the additional charge of Surface Transport.

Mr Ramadoss asked Ms Jayalalitha to openly and categorically come out with a statement that the AIADMK’s support to the Vajpayee Ministry would continue for five years to remove the perception among people that the government was unstable.

He said though changing portfolios was the Prime Minister’s prerogative, such a move should be considered only if the minister concerned was found to be inefficient or corrupt. However, in this instance, even the Prime Minister had a good opinion about Mr Ramamurthy’s capabilities.

Mr Ramadoss said if Mr Ramamurthy or any other minister in the Union Cabinet from Tamil Nadu had made a mistake, Ms Jayalalitha, as the front’s leader, could even institute an inquiry. "We do not have any objection to even a portfolio being taken away from any of the friendly parties on this count", he said.

He said Ms Jayalalitha should seek eight more ministerial berths for Tamil Nadu, which now has five representatives.

Even at the time of the swearing-in of the Vajpayee Ministry, he had expressed unhappiness over only a Minister of State berth being given to his party nominee instead of a Cabinet berth, the PMK leader said.

Mr Ramadoss said he felt hurt over the invitation being extended to him only at the last minute by the AIADMK supremo to the tea party hosted by her at Delhi on October 9.

Mr Ramadoss said the AIADMK front had asked for the allocation of seven portfolios — five for the AIADMK, one each for the PMK and TRC. When Ms Jayalalitha met Mr Vajpayee, she had spoken about it and later she told him (Ramadoss) that the Health portfolio had been allocated to his nominee.

"At this juncture I expressed my unhappiness and said at least one of my nominees should he given a Cabinet berth ".

The PMK leader said Ms Jayalalitha had told him a day before the BJP government’s swearing-in ceremony that she had also sought the Petroleum portfolio for her party nominee.

Later, he met Mr Vajpayee and requested for one more portfolio for his party and "the Prime Minister assured me that I would be considered at the time of Cabinet expansion," Mr Ramadoss added.

NEW DELHI (TNS): The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) today announced that it would hold a meeting of its leaders on October 17 at Jind in Haryana to decide on the issue of continuation of support to the Central Government, even as the Bharatiya Janata Party made attempts to play down the issue.

The BJP general secretary, Mr M. Venkaiah Naidu, said the party had no problem with the INLD. He said that he had spoken to the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, on the issue and there was no problem of any sort. Mr Vajpayee had apparently also spoken to the INLD leaders and tried to reason it out with them on the issue.

However, a statement issued by the INLD here said that the final decision regarding the continuance of support to the BJP-led coalition government would be taken at the meeting on October 17. The meeting is to be attended by all members of Parliament, Legislative assemblies, national council and state council, besides district council members and heads of different cells of the party.

Senior INLD leader, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, in a statement said though the removal of Mr Sahib Singh Verma was an internal matter of the BJP, yet the decision pointed towards the anti-farmer’s mentality of the party. He, however, denied that any decision had yet been taken on the withdrawal of support to the government, as reported in a section of press yesterday.

The INLD had yesterday strongly protested the removal of Mr Sahib Singh Verma as the Chief Minister of Delhi. The party, headed by former Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Devi Lal, has been extending unconditional support to the BJP government. The Lok Dal has four MPs in the Lok Sabha and one in Rajya Sabha.

Meanwhile, former Chief Minister of Delhi, Mr Sahib Singh Verma has expressed hope that the INLD would not take any hasty decision regarding lending support to the Vajpayee government.

Talking to newsmen here Mr Verma Said, " I have already spoken to Mr Om Prakash Chautala and urged him not to take any hasty decisions".

Later the new Chief Minister, Ms Sushma Swaraj also said that the BJP General Secretary M . Venkaiah Naidu had also spoken to Mr Chautala and that there was no problem of any sort.