Jaya govt anti-democratic: Chidambaram

Chennai, Apr 15 (UNI) Describing AIADMK General Secretary and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa as ''anti-democrat'', senior Congress leader and Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram today appealed to people to vote for the party which believed in following federal politics.

Talking to reporters here, he said the people should vote out the ''anti-people'' and ''anti-democratic'' government of AIADMK, which had always adopted a confrontational attitude with the Centre and had not come out with concrete project proposals.

''The question before the people is whether they want a government which refuses to cooperate with the people, a government which disrespects the authority of Prime Minister, a government which refuses to deal with Central ministers''.

''Is this the type of government the people want...this is the question,'' Mr Chidambaram said and recalled the oppressive measures unleashed by the Jayalalithaa government during the first four years of its rule. ''My first charge against the State government is complete undermining of democracy and Parliamentary practices in the state legislature.'' Claiming that there would be no democracy after the elections if the AIADMK was voted back to power, he recalled the onslaught on media, stifling of democracy in the Legislature using the brute majority, en masse eviction of opposition from the House, misuse of POTA, ESMA, TESMA, largescale dismissal of government employees who were driven to the Supreme Court, anti-conversion law and ban on cow slaughter.

The government rolling back all the harsh measures during the last one year was an ''illusion'' given with an eye on the elections.

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