Jaya ends her fast on Cauvery issue in city

Chennai, Mar 18 (UNI) AIADMK General Secretary J Jayalalithaa today ended her eight-hour-long fast on the Cauvery issue, with a strong message to both the Centre and the DMK Government in Tamil Nadu that they would be thrown out of power if they continued to ''betray'' the people of the state on the issue.

The AIADMK supremo, who went on the fast at 0850 hrs demanding immediate gazette notification of the Tribunal's final award, broke it at 1700 hrs accepting a glass of orange juice from MDMK General Secretary Vaiko, an ally of the AIADMK.

Ms Jayalalithaa remained resolute through out the day, without even leaving her chair once or taking a sip of water.

She observed the fast on a specially-erected dais in front of Valluvar Kottam, a memorial for Tamil saint-poet Thiruvalluvar in the heart of the city.

Senior leaders of the party, including Presidium Chairman E Madhusudanan and Election Wing Secretary O Panneerselvam, shared the dais with their leader, while thousands of party cadres raised slogans in praise of Ms Jayalalithaa.

Addressing newspersons from the dais, Ms Jayalalithaa charged that both the Centre and the DMK Government did not want to implement the final award for different reasons.

While the Congress, heading the UPA Government at the Centre, was afraid of losing the party's vote bank in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi was apprehensive of losing income from his family-run satellite TV channels in that state, she charged.

She also dismissed as ''incorrect'' and ''unacceptable'' Mr Karunanidhi's contention that gazette notification was possible only 90 days after the award was given.

Demanding the final award be notified in the gazette without any further delay, Ms Jayalalithaa declared there would soon be a change of Government both at the Centre and in the state.

While the AIADMK would come to power in Tamil Nadu, a new Government with the support of the AIADMK would be formed at the Centre, she said and added that 'if the final award is not nofified in the gazette now, we will do that job after coming to power.'' More UNI