From correspondents in Tamil Nadu, India, 09:30 PM IST
PMK founder S. Ramadoss, whose party has broken with Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK-led alliance, Saturday lashed out at Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, alleging that the DMK was trying to win over its legislators.
'The DMK government is insecure due to its minority status and is attempting to lure our MLAs (legislators),' Ramadoss said at a rally in neighbouring Villupuram district.
The ruling Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA) June 17 broke its relationship with the PMK after Karunanidhi alleged that it repeatedly assailed the DMK 'in a woundingly insulting manner'.
In separate rallies Saturday, Ramadoss alleged that the government was spreading a 'liquor culture' in the state by increasing the number of vends and also called for immediately eschewing the untouchability practised against Dalit Christians.
Addressing a meeting attended by Dalit leader and VCK boss Thol Thirumavalavan, Ramadoss spoke vehemently against the continuing practice of untouchability against the Scheduled Castes who had converted to Christianity.
'Untouchability is an abomination and does not fit into our society at all. It is imperative that all of us work towards its extinction. In this connection, the government should include Dalit Christian converts in the Scheduled Castes' lists without delay,' Ramadoss said at another meeting in the same district.
Though PMK was edged out of the DPA, it continues in the United Progressive Alliance coalition - of which the DMK is also a part - in New Delhi. Anbumoni Ramadoss, the PMK founder's son, is the union health minister.
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Close observers of the goings on in political parties in Tamilnadu will easily agree that not just Karunanidhi, but even the Congressmen with honchos like PC, indeed all parties, not the least of them, this casteist Ramadoss party, play what Ramadoss calls "dirty tricks". In this case Ramadoss merely preempted the other parties in Tamilnadu in accusing the DMK of this nonsense in TN politics.
In view of the unprincipled, opportunistic and downright selfishly motivated alliances, we can expect more such acrimony between political parties and even within parties. In Tamilnadu as well as outside in India.The socalled ideologies are mere humbug intended to maintain separate identities of parties for bargaining for power sharing when govt. is formed.
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