CHENNAI: Speakers at an election rally, organised by the BJP-led front here on Thursday, asserted that only a government headed by L K Advani would be able to find a solution to the Sri Lankan Tamils’ problem. Parties like the DMK and AIADMK could merely issue appeals to the Centre on the issue, they said.
Appealing to the large gathering to vote for BJP candidates, State unit president L Ganesan (South Chennai) and Dr Tamilisai Soundarajan (North Chennai), the party’s election in-charge for southern states, M Venkaiah Naidu, said scores of Sri Lankan Tamils were being massacred and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, who was helpless on the issue, was sending telegram after telegram to the Centre.
On the bandh call given by the DMK government, Naidu wanted to know whether it was directed against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh or the United Progressive Alliance, in which the DMK was a member.
Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy alleged that several Congress leaders had amassed huge funds in Swiss banks using the ‘participatory note’ route. On the Ram Sethu issue, he said his party was not against the Sethusamudram project but only sought realignment of the proposed canal.
BJP’s Ramanathapuram candidate S Thirunavukkarasar said among all leaders only Advani had a firm grasp of the myriad problems facing India and the capacity to solve them.
Refuting the charge that the BJP was a communal party, All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi president Sarath Kumar said the Dravidian parties in the State had used the saffron outfit whenever it suited them. Both the AIADMK and the DMK were at one time aligned with the BJP.
All India Nadulum Makkal Katchi president Karthik said while there were several contenders for the PM’s post in other fronts, the NDA was united under Advani’s leadership.
P T Kumar of Dravida Vizhipunarchi Kazhagam, Rajasheker of Janata Dal (United), Nagaimugan of Bharatiya Forward Bloc and Suba Sethuram of Communist Leninist Party were among those who spoke.
