BJP demands sacking of all DMK ministers

Bhopal, Sep 21: Hardening its attitude on the "irresponsible utterances" of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK leader M.Karunanidhi on the existence of Lord Ram, the BJP today demanded that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA President Sonia Gandhi must drop all DMK ministers from the Government.

Describing Mr Karunanidhi's statement that Lord Ram's existence is only ''mythological'' and there is no historical proof about the existence of the Ramsethu, as "highly ugly, blasphemous and deserved to be condemned in strongest words, BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said his party appealed to Prime Minister and Ms Sonia Gandhi to persuade Mr Karunanidhi to apologise for the statement which has hurt the sentiments of millions of Hindus in the country, failing which all DMK ministers should be dropped from the UPA government." Mr Prasad read out parts of the foreward of Mr Karunanidhi as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu in 1972 in the Gazette, in which he paid respect and reverence to Lard Ram and referred to the Ramsethu.

In reply to a question, Mr Prasad said he did not subscribe to the view that Mr Karunanidhi had the right to freedom of speech.

"Right to Freedom of Speech does not allow you to indulge in blasphemy," he noted.

The party maintained that the mid-term election are inevitable.

The UPA government has practically been reduced to minority in the past three months.

The Left is opposed to it on the Indo-US Nuclear Deal, while the DMK's stand on Ramsethu has put the government in the dock.

Therefore there is no majority, no stability and no accountability...,'' Mr Prasad claimed.

UNI