PMK to back BJP on Cauvery issue

NEW DELHI, Nov 14: The Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) today declared that it will support the Vajpayee government for a full term even if AIADM...

NEW DELHI, Nov 14: The Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) today declared that it will support the Vajpayee government for a full term even if AIADMK chief J Jayalalitha withdraws support on the Cauvery issue.

PMK leader S Ramadoss’ declaration here today makes the existence of the AIADMK-led front in Tamil Nadu even more uncertain. Doubts have already been raised about the front with reports that it had been dissolved. These media reports emanating from sources in the AIADMK recently have not been refuted by the party’s leadership.

The PMK’s relationship as also that of other constituents like Vaiko’s MDMK and K Ramamurthy’s TRC with Jayalalitha on the question of continuing support to the Vajpayee government has been strained. But while these parties have been keen to project the view that the AIADMK-led front was still in one piece, Jayalalitha has not been reciprocating in any measure.

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For the records, Ramadoss said that “it (the front) is still there and it will continue to be there” but added with moreemphasis that “the PMK will support the government for its full term.” Asked specifically whether the support would continue even if Jayalalitha makes the Cauvery dispute, a highly emotive issue in Tamil Nadu, an excuse for snapping ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Ramadoss replied in the affirmative.

This, despite the fact that Ramadoss agreed with Jayalalitha’s condemnation of the recent Cauvery accord between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka brought about with the mediation of the Prime Minister. “There are many loopholes in the Cauvery accord,” he said.

The PMK chief was here to give details about a conference his party is holding in Delhi next week on the need to make all 18 languages in the Eighth Schedule as national languages. Despite being invited, Jayalalitha has refused to attend it and this is being viewed as a snub to the PMK.Though there has been enough reason for the PMK to take an aggressive position against the BJP, his responses at the press conference made it clear that he wasgiving it a long rope.

He was non-committal when asked if he would set a time-frame for a panel to go into the question of making Tamil and 17 other languages as national languages. Similarly, he said that the performance of the BJP-led government was “good” notwithstanding the price rise issue.