Pranab pacifies Karunanidhi, says alliance intact

Chennai, Jul 9: In the backdrop of Dayanidhi Maran's exit from the Union Cabinet over the 2G scam issue, senior Congress leader and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today (Jul 9) discussed the current political situation with DMK chief M Karunanidhi and asserted that the alliance between the two parties would be strengthened.

Emerging from over an hour-long meeting with Karunanidhi at his residence here, Mukherjee told reporters, "The alliance is there, the alliance will continue and it will be strengthened."

There were a lot of reports and speculation whether the alliance between the Congress and DMK would continue, he said in apparent reference to strains in the ties between the two parties following the exit of two DMK ministers, the arrest of Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi in the 2G spectrum case and the rout of the alliance in the assembly polls.

Seeking to downplay his meeting with Karunanidhi, which came two days after Maran resigned, Mukherjee said it was his pratice to call on the DMK leader whenever he was in the city.

Noting that this was his first visit to Chennai after the Tamil Nadu Assembly polls, he said, "I took the opportunity of calling on him and explained the current political situation and shared our views."

He declined to take any questions from mediapersons.

PTI