Name Sethusamudram after Lord Ram: MK

Chennai, Oct 18: Reiterating that he had no personal enmity with Lord Ram, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today offered to name the Sethusamudram Shipping Channel Project (SSCP) after Lord Ram, if that would assuage the feelings of the Hindus.

''We have nothing against Lord Ram and the project can even be named as Sethu Raman Shipping Channel Project.All we want is the shipping channel and prosperity for Tamil Nadu,'' he said speaking in the state Assembly after the en masse eviction of AIADMK members from the House.

He said the AIADMK, which had once expressed its total commitment to the implementation of the SSCP in its election manifesto, was now opposing the project for political reasons.

The AIADMK had changed its stand on the project as it did not want the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre and the DMK Government in the state to implement the project and take credit for it.

To stall the project, they unnecessarily dragged the name of Lord Ram and trying to give an impression that he and party General Secretary K Anbazhagan hate Lord Ram, Mr Karunanidhi alleged.

When superstar Rajnikanth told him that a campaign had been launched in north India that he (Mr Karunanidhi) was against Lord Ram, he had told him to tell the saints that it was a false.

The DMK was insisting to implement the project as it wanted Tamil Nadu to reap benefits of the project, he said.

''We never intend to cast aspersions on Lord Ram. As far as we are concerned, Lord Ram, Jesus Christ and Nabi are same. We believe in one caste one God", Mr Karunanidhi said.

UNI