Swamy calls on Jaya; discusses politics

Coimbatore, Jun 16 (UNI) In a sudden political development, Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy today met former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa at Kodanadu Estate in Nilgiris district, where she is taking rest with her friend Sasikala.

During the meeting that lasted about an hour, Dr Swamy and Ms Jayalalithaa discussed the present political situation, including Sethusamudram Shipping Channel project, inflation and the ''mismanagement'' of Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram.

Later talking to newspersons, Dr Swamy suggested laying an express railway line from Tuticorin to Bangalore, Kolkata and Nagpur for easy transportation of goods, instead of wasting money on the SSCP project. Ms Jayalalithaa also welcomed this suggestion. Even if the SSCP was commissioned, only 30,000-tonne capacity ships would be able to sail.

He claimed that during the previous AIADMK regime, the Centre had not accorded permission for the project, but now they have done so by completely violating the pollution control board rules.

To a question about the Indo-US nuclear deal, he said there was no need to worry about the threats from the US. ''India should sign the pact only if it is acknowledged as a 'Nuclear Power Weapon Country' as the status would help the country get a permanent seat in the UN Security Council,'' he added.

Dr Swamy blamed the ''mismanagement and wrong policies'' of Mr Chidambaram for the rising inflation rate. The Minister had permitted American systems like participatory notes in the share market, following which a lot of black money had been invested.

This system should be abolished to control inflation. Mr Chidambaram should resign on his own for his mistakes or Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should dismiss him, he demanded.

About him possessing 20 tapes regarding the phone tapping issue in the State, he said he did not want to release the tapes now as it would affect Government officers. He would make it public only after the announcement of election dates, he added.

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