Fears on Jaya's secret links with LTTE not without reason:CM

Chennai, Sep 6 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today said the apprehensions raised by TNCC President M Krishnassamy about former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's alleged 'secret links' with the LTTE were not without reason.

In a statement here, Mr Karunanidhi said while Ms Jayalalithaa claimed she was soley responsible for banning the organisation, her ally, Marumalarchi Dravidar Kazhagam General Secretary Vaiko, said he would not remain without supporting the LTTE.

'When the two leaders have come together, forging an alliance, it will not be wrong on the part of Mr Krishnassamy to raise doubts.' Mr Karunanidhi, referring to Ms Jayalalithaa's remarks at a public meeting in her constituency, Andipatti, denied her charges that the DMK government had not allocated funds for free schemes announced in the budget for 2006-07.

He said it was Ms Jayalalithaa, who, during her previous regime, had failed to allot funds after announcing schemes like building a new office complex for state police at Taramani.

Ms Jayalalithaa had announced in the budget for 2005-06 the construction of a new office complex at a cost of Rs 30 crore at Taramani, to house the office of the Director General of Police (DGP) and other officers, but the complex never came up, he said.

When DMK leader M K Stalin had asked why the project did not take off during the budget debate on March 11, 2005 in the Assembly, Ms Jayalalithaa said the foundation stone had been laid and construction would be completed in a year. But after the foundation stone laying ceremony, not even preliminary work was started, he said.

That spot was still vacant and it was there the present government proposed to build Tidel Park-II, the Chief Minister said.

Ms Jayalalithaa had 'lied' to the house that the office complex would be built within a year, without allocating funds, he alleged, adding, that she was now levelling charges that the DMK government had not allocated funds for schemes, announced in the budget.

On Ms Jayalalithaa's charge that farmers in the state were not issued fresh loans, he said detailed clarifications were given about new loans during the debate on the budget in the Assembly.

Referring to Ms Jayalalithaa's remarks that she was the only opposition leader in the state who was taking on the government and all the others were playing second fiddle to the government, Mr Karunanidhi said this showed how she respected opposition leaders in the state, both when in power and when in the opposition.

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