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Home ministry team gives clean chit to Karunanidhi

The visiting two-member high-level Union home ministry team today expressed satisfaction over the prevailing law and order situation in Tamil Nadu following the ongoing drive against fundamentalists in the state.

Talking to the media at the end of a review meeting with top state government officilas at the state secretariat in Madras, Union home ministry Special Secretary Ashok Kumar said the administration was working hard to tackle the situation arising out of the February 14 serial blasts at Coimbatore.

"The impression I have gathered is that, under state Chief Secretary K A Nambiar's leadership, the administration is exerting very hard to deal with the threat to law and order with a great deal of earnestness," he added.

He said the state police had achieved some success in nabbing extremists and unearthing explosives. This had to be followed up rigorously.

The elements, which had disturbed peace, are already on the run. The overall law and order situation has improved and there is no reason why the situation should not improve further, he stated.

Speaking to the media prior to the day's meeting with the state government officials, Kumar, who is heading a high-level delegation to review the law and order situation in Tamil Nadu, made it clear that his visit was not intended to be a 'pressure' on the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government and that the state was peaceful.

He said he did not intend to make field visits, including Coimbatore city, where over 60 people were killed in the February 14 serial bomb blasts.

To a question, he said a day's visit was enough. "Through discussions we can find out the truth," he added.

To another question, Kumar said Tamil Nadu was peaceful. "When I took a walk down the Marina beach this morning, I saw everyone going about their activities," he added.

On the follow-up action by the team, he said he would submit his views to the Union home ministry.

Later, Ashok Kumar, accompanied by Deputy Secretary (internal security) A K Paithandy, began discussions with top officials including Chief Secretary K A Nambiar and Home Secretary R Poornalingam and Director-General of Police F C Sharma.

Last night, on his arrival in Madras, Ashok Kumar said there was enough evidence to corroborate the complicity of Pakistani intelligence outfit, Inter-Services Intelligence, in terrorist activities in the state and elsewhere in the country.

Kumar, however, said the Centre would fully support the efforts of the state government to deal with the situation.

Stating that a lot of steps had been taken, resulting in the seizure of huge cache of explosives, he said one had to see what further measures were required to contain the situation.

"I am here to review the law and order situation in consultation with the state government officials including the chief secretary, the DGP and officials of the intelligence agencies."

In the morning today, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi had expressed surprise over the visit of a Union home ministry team to the state when his government had taken all steps to maintain law and order and curb fundamentalist and extremist groups.

Replying to a special mention by G Palanisamy (Communist Party of India) and D Mani (Communist Party of India-Marxist) in the state assembly, Karunanidhi, however, said the state government would extend the fullest cooperation to the team in its mission to review the law and order situation in the state. The state government had nothing to hide, he added.

He said the team's visit could be a follow-up of his plea to Home Minister L K Advani to help the state modernise its police force and for the deployment of two battalions of the Rapid Action Force to maintain the law and order situation.

Referring to Palanisamy's apprehension that the visit was a precursor to destabilise the popularly-elected government in the state, Karunanidhi said he was not unduly perturbed about the threats of his government's dismissal.

Referring to the oft-repeated demands by the Union ministers belonging to the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazagham, he said he was unconcerned about them as the leaders were only echoing the voice of AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalitha. "She had stated that the days of my government are numbered. I am not bothered about it, as I am not bothered even about the days of my life being numbered," he asserted.

Karunanidhi said his only concern was about the proper implementation of the welfare schemes which might get affected by the dismissal threat.

UNI

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