DK Chief ridicules Jaya for opposing SSCP

Chennai, Oct 18 (UNI) Dravidar Kazhagam (DK) President K Veeramani today ridiculed AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa for opposing Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project (SSCP).

Talking to newspersons here, he said Ms Jayalalithaa's stand, that the project need not be implemented and the ships could go around Sri Lanka, would only help the cause of the island nation.

''The Sri Lankan Government has been resorting to many direct and indirect means to stall the project, and her statement echoing the Sri Lankan view is condemnable,'' he added.

Charging the AIADMK with contradicting its stand on the issue, he read out portions of the party's various poll manifestos, including the one for 2006 Assembly elections, in which the party had argued for the project, stating that it would result in the economic development of the state.

Reacting to her contention that the project was a ''threat to national security,'' Mr Veeramani wondered whether former Prime Minister A B Vajpayee, whose NDA regime cleared the project, and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh were not aware of it.

UNI