DMK-PMK ties reach point of no return?

Chennai, Jun 13: The already crumbling relationship between the ruling DMK and its key ally, the PMK, is now on the rocks with DMK President and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi hinting at severing of ties with its pin-pricking ally.

Speaking at a marriage function here, Mr Karunanidhi said the DMK high-level action committee would meet in the next four or five days after the party's women's wing conference in Cuddalore and take a decision regarding its ties with the PMK.

The DMK chief gave this assurance to his Cabinet colleague and party Treasurer Arcot N Veerasamy, who recalled the slanderous remarks made against Mr Karunanidhi by PMK functionary Kaduvetti Guru and urged him to take a decision on the relations with the PMK.

''I will convene the party's high-level action committee meeting and give an answer to Mr Veerasamy,'' he said, amidst thunderous applause.

Mr Karunanidhi concurred with Mr Veerasamy that it would be a greater shame to continue the alliance with the PMK, after such harsh words and violent speeches.

''Nothing can be more insulting than this. A decision on how to wipe off this insult will be taken at the meeting,'' he said and appealed to party workers to exercise restraint and not to air views according to their whims and fancies till a decision was taken on the issue.

Mr Karunanidhi asked the partymen to extend their cooperation to whatever decision taken by the DMK on the issue of ties with the PMK. The Chief Minister said action would be taken against Mr Guru for his inflammatory speech, a CD of which was presented to him by Mr Veerasamy at the marriage function. Prima facie, it revealed that his speech was dangerous and showed that there was a conspiracy of murder.

After viewing the contents of the CD at the high-level meeting of the party, necessary action would be taken against Mr Guru after handing over the CD to the police, he said.

''I am not saying this as the Chief Minister or because the Government is in our hands, but to preserve law and order and peace in the State. Whoever poses a threat to this, action would be taken against them,'' he added.

It appeared that Mr Guru, who Mr Karunanidhi described as the 'Chieftain' of the PMK, is reported to have warned while speaking at a meeting that the heads of DMK leaders would be severed.

''Be it the beheading of Mr Veerasamy or Union Minister A Raja or party's Andimadam Legislator Sivashankar, the same blood will flow if my head is also severed,'' he said, adding that such inflammatory speeches only showed that the PMK Chieftain himself was gearing up for a war.

However, Mr Karunanidhi said he would not be cowed down by the threat as he and the party had faced similar threats in the past.

The PMK leaders were capable of unleashing such threats and speaking to the extent they wanted, he said and challenged PMK founder-leader S Ramadoss to prove his charge that his phones were tapped.

''Only women in some houses will eavesdrop to know whether they are the subject of discussion. Telephone tapping is not that easy as claimed by Dr Ramadoss, as permission has to be obtained from the Centre and from the officials at various stages,'' he added.

UNI