We did not threaten to quit UPA on NLC issue: Karunanidhi

Chennai, Jul 8 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, whose DMK is a key constituent in the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre, today said he never threatened to withdraw support on the ''NLC disinvestment issue''.

In a statement here, he said it was totally wrong on the part of a section of the media in the north as well as south to give an impression that he had threatened to withdraw support to the UPA Government, if the Centre did not rescind its decision to offload ten per cent of its equity in the Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC).

He had only said the ''DMK is thinking whether to continue in the Government and be a party to the decision of the Union Government'' (on the NLC issue), but never threatened to withdraw DMK's support to the UPA Government.

Stating that he was not willing to fall prey to forces which were bent upon trying to create a rift in the coalition, Mr Karunanidhi appealed to the media not to come out with such ''unnecessary sensationalisation.'' He said even after pulling out from the Government, one could continue to offer support to the Government and there were precedents.

More UNI WS JJ AT PC1701