DMK stir not against BJP: Karunanidhi

Chennai, Sep 23 (UNI) Reacting to the attack on the offices of the BJP, VHP and Hindu Munnani by the DMK cadre, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President M Karunanidhi today said his party will protest only to press for the implementation of the Sethusamudram Shipping Channel Project (SSCP) and not against the BJP.

In a brief chat with reporters on the sidelines of a function at the Anna University here, he said ''if at all there is any protest tomorrow, it will only be for the implementation of the project and not against the BJP.'' Mr Karunanidhi's remarks come in the wake of DMK workers ransacking the BJP office in the city and attacking the residence of BJP leader H Raja and and offices of Hindu Munnani and VHP, in protest against the 'fatwa' issued by former BJP MP and VHP leader Ram Vilas Vedanti for the DMK chief's critical remarks on Lord Ram.

While Mr Karunanidhi favoured expedition of the project, the BJP and other parties were opposing it on the ground that it was being executed by demolishing the mythical Ram Sethu (Adam's bridge).

Earlier, talking to a TV channel, Mr Karunanidhi described as a token protest, the agitation by the DMK workers.

He refused to comment on Mr Vedanti retracting his statement on issuance of fatwa.

On the SSCP, he said he was not against the realignment of the project, but was only concerned about its implementation. ''It is for the engineers to decide on any realignment,'' he added.

''Don't worry, nothing will happen'', was the DMK chief's cryptic reply, when asked about differences between the DMK and the Congress. ''There are no differences between the two parties,'' he added.

UNI