Chidambaram dismisses CM's charges as ''absurd''

Chennai, Apr 10: Union Finance Minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram today dismissed as 'absurd' Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's charge that the DMK-led opposition had hatched a conspiracy to unleash violence to stall the May 8 Assembly poll.

Talking to newspersons at the airport here, he said she could not make such 'irresponsible and baseless' charges, when she was in charge of the home department, intelligence and law and order.

Mr Chidambaram said he would undertake a campaign for the victory of the DMK-led Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA) candidates and focus on the 'five-year misrule' of the AIADMK, while highlighting the two-year achievements of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government at the Centre.

During the electioneering, he said he would also explain to the people how the Jayalalithaa regime remained 'non-cooperative' for implementation of a number of Central schemes in the state.

Asked about the DMK's promise to provide free colour TV sets to the poor, if it was voted to power, Mr Chidambaram, evading a direct reply, said these issues would be addressed in election campaigns.' On Union HRD minister Arjun Singh announcing reservation when the model of conduct was in force in five states, the Finance Minister said Mr Singh had replied to the Election Commission's notice in this regard and it was for the poll panel to decide.

On BJP leader L K Advani's charge against Election Commissioner Naveen Chawla, he said 'Mr Advani has become irrelevant and I need not reply to his charges.'

Later, speaking at a meeting of party cadre at Kattumannarkovil in Cuddalore district, Mr Chidambaram alleged that the Jayalalithaa Government had done injustice to Dalits in the state. 'The Chief Minister has not only removed two Dalit Superintendents of Police but has also kept two Dalit IAS officers in waiting without assigning them any post,' he charged.

He also questioned Dalit Panthers of India General Secretary Thol Tirumavalavan's decision to join the AIADMK-led front.

Mr Chidambaram said the DMK-led DPA would romp home in the Assembly elections as people had always wanted a change of government every five years.

Criticising the five-year rule of the AIADMK Government, he said Ms Jayalalithaa had changed the Director General of Police five times, Home Secretary four times and Industries Secretary nine times.

Talking to reporters, he said Ms Jayalalithaa and MDMK General Secretary Vaiko, who had struck an alliance for the Assembly elections, took a contradictary stand on the Sethusamudram project.

He asked whether the MDMK leader, who had been espousing the cause for long, would now toe Ms Jayalalithaa line and oppose the project.

On implementation of Value Added Tax (VAT), he said only Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry and Uttar Pradesh were yet to enforce it.

UNI