A day after a row broke out over the signatures of MPs on two letters to US President Barack Obama over the issue of visa to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, DMK chief M Karunanidhi came out with a statement claiming that none of his party MPs had signed them.
As if he was not sure about his own claim, he also promised action against any MP who had signed it without consulting the party high command.
“Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s MPs are denying signing the petition. I have said many times that the DMK will not interfere in the relations between the Centre and another country,” said Karunanidhi. “Even as we say no DMK MPs have signed the letter to the American President, the DMK high command does not accept any signatures its MPs might have put on the letter. “If anyone is found to have signed the letter without consulting the high command, action will be taken against them,” said DMK supremo, Karunanidhi.
Copies of the letter, which were released to the media by the Indian American Muslim Council, showed that six DMK MPs had signed the two letters urging Obama not to lift the visa ban on Modi. On Wednesday, DMK Rajya Sabha MP KP Ramalingam denied signing the letter.
VCK chief Thirumavalavan, a staunch DMK ally, had confirmed to Express that Lok Sabha MP for the Vellore Constituency, Abdul Rahman, had signed the letter. The signature of A A Jinnah, one of the DMK’s Rajya Sabha MPs, appeared on the letters twice - once on the list containing the signatures of Rajya Sabha MPs and once on the list of signatures of Lok Sabha MPs.
Jinnah had brushed off questions from Express on Wednesday, saying this was “not a matter to be disclosed to the public.”