AIADMK also seeks dismissal of Karunanidhi govt

New Delhi, Sept 26: Scores of AIADMK activists today staged a demonstration in the capital, calling on the Centre to dismiss the Karunanidhi-led DMK Government in Tamil Nadu for "hurting" the sentiments of Hindu community on the Ramar Setu issue.

Addressing a rally in New Delhi, the AIADMK's leader in the Rajya Sabha, V Maitreyan, said, "The DMK government should be dismissed immediately as his remarks against Lord Ram has hurt the sentiments of millions of Hindus across the globe."

"By making derogatory remarks against Lord Ram, Karunanidhi has violated the Constitution," he said.

Later, speaking to reporters, the AIADMK MP said his party was not opposed to the project, but were against its current alignment.

“We also want the project to be implemented. But we are against the current alignment, which will demolish the Ramar Setu. We want the project to be implemented in any other alignment and protect the monument (Ram Setu)."

When asked about the proposed October 1 shutdown by the DMK and its allies in Tamil Nadu, Maitreyan said, "The shutdown announced by the DMK and its allies amounts to a contempt of court as the issue is still pending in the Supreme Court."

The city unit of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) also held a protest near the Jantar Mantar and condemned Karunanidhi for making remarks against Lord Ram and burnt his effigy.

On Monday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also demanded the dismissal of the Karunanidhi-led Government in Tamil Nadu.

A BJP delegation met Governor S S Barnala in Chennai and sought the dismissal of the State Government following an attack on the Chennai party office by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) activists.

"We explained in detail the violent activities indulged by the DMK activists and by the ministers. The police have failed to take any action. They are afraid to even file an FIR. There is no law and order situation. So, we have asked the Governor to intervene and requested him to dismiss the DMK Government," said Thirunaavakarasu, the National Secretary of the BJP.

DMK activists had attacked a BJP office on Sunday after they received reports of a former BJP lawmaker announcing reward for a person who would behead DMK chief M Karunanidhi, over his comments on Lord Ram.

Sixteen DMK activists were remanded to 15 days judicial custody, in connection with the attack.

Karunanidhi, a self claimed atheist and rationalist, had recently said that Lord Ram was a fallacy as tall as the Himalayas.

Karunanidhi told reporters in Chennai that the DMK would organise a statewide shutdown to pressure the Central Government into implementing the Sethusamudram Project.

"I am neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with the Centre"s move on the Sethusamudram project. We are going on a state-wide shutdown on the first of October," said Karunanidhi.

His statement came amidst a raging row over a Central Government affidavit filed before the Supreme Court earlier this month in support of the ship lane project, which said that Hinduism's most important texts are not proof of the existence of Hindu gods.

However, the government backtracked on the 'affidavit' and sought three months time from the court to file an amended one, following threats of nationwide protests by the BJP and other radical Hindu organisations.

Meanwhile, a case was registered against Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Ram Vilas Vedanti, who allegedly issued a threat against Karunanidhi.

The case was filed by Dhananchezhian, a Chennai resident.

Vendanti was charged for "promoting enmity between various communities, committing acts prejudicial to maintaining communal harmony and making statement conducive to public mischief," the police said.

Earlier, Vedanti, who denied having issued the threat, said that he had simply quoted the religious books on the punishment prescribed for blasphemy.

Hindu groups are already up in arms over the Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project.

They have called on the government to stop the project, saying it would demolish a mythical bridge linking India and Sri Lanka, believed to have been built by Lord Ram.

Opposing the 560 million dollars project, they say it would destroy the Ramar Setu, a 48-kilometer chain of limestone shoals that once linked Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu to Mannar in Sri Lanka.

ANI
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