Karunanidhi warns Jaya of criminal action

Chennai, Sep 4: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today warned AIADMK General Secretary J Jayalalithaa of criminal action, for ''spreading rumours about possible terror attack'' in the city. Answering a set of questions, the Chief Minister, referring to Ms Jayalalithaa's claim that three or four outfits were ready to carry out terror attack in the city and were awaiting orders from the top, said she would be forced to face criminal action for continuously spreading such rumours.

Quoting a Tamil daily, which carried the AIADMK leader's statement about possible terror strikes, Mr Karunanidhi said spreading rumours and publishing the same would amount to violation of law and invite criminal action.

He said Ms Jayalalithaa had levelled a false charge that the reports about threats posed by terrorist outfits sent to him by the Intelligence Department, were intercepted and dumped by two of his cabinet colleagues.

On Ms Jayalalithaa's claim that the newly appointed Director General of Police pleaded ignorance about terrorist attack in the city, he said the DGP had never said that he was not aware of such threats as he assumed office only three days ago.

On the other hand, the DGP had given a detailed reply on the steps being taken to avert any such attacks. Mr Karunanidhi quoted the DGP having said that he had ordered vehicle checks by armed police personnel and alerted the police to keep a vigil at places frequented by the people.

The DGP had asked the police to accord top priority and act on any report about infiltration of terrorists, the Chief Minister said.

UNI