Settlement only if Centre drops move: Jaya

Chennai, Nov 24 (UNI) Pledging support to the striking Medicos in Tamil Nadu over the Centre's move to extend the MBBS course by one year, AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa today said the issue could be resolved only if the Union Government dropped the move.

Describing as an eye-wash some reports that the students had called off their stir following an assurance by Chief Minister M Karunanidhi last night, Ms Jayalalithaa, in a statement here, alleged that it was a drama staged by the state government after the AIADMK announced its decision to organise agitations in support of the Medicos.

Stating that the Medicos had been agitating since September and launched hunger strike on November 11, the AIADMK General Secretary said the Chief Minister, who remained silent all along, suddenly called a section of the striking students for talks and made them to call off the strike because of the ''AIADMK agitation''.

It was reported in the media that the Medicos had decided to call of the stir following an assurance by the Chief Minister that he would write to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss. However, the strike continued at many places in the state, Ms Jayalalithaa said.

She said if Mr Karunanidhi understood the sentiments of the students, he would immmediately prevail upon the Prime Minister and Dr Ramadoss to drop its move to extend MBBS course by one year.

Ms Jayalalithaa said the AIADMK would offer its support to the striking Medicos till they succeeded in their agitation.

The AIADMK had already announced that it would hold protest demonstrations in front of all government medical colleges in the state on November 27 in support of the Medicos and House Surgeons.

UNI