Thaindian News

Chennai, Feb 3 (IANS) Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK came out in support of its tainted leader A. Raja Thursday even as he was sent to CBI custody for his involvement in the spectrum scam, but said its alliance with the Congress party will continue.After indicating a day earlier that it was prepared to dump Raja, the DMK’s all-powerful General Council rallied behind the former communications minister who quit Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government last year despite denying corruption charges hurled at him.

With elections due in Tamil Nadu this year, the DMK accused the opposition of blowing the spectrum scam out of proportion.

Raja and two of his former aides were arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in New Delhi Wednesday for their role in the controversial allocation of airwaves for second generation (2G) telecom services.

The Comptroller and Auditor General indicted him for causing losses of Rs.58,000 crore ($12.8 billion) to Rs.1.76 lakh crore ($40 billion) to the exchequer by giving away airwaves in violation of rules.

The DMK, embarrassed over the developments, made it clear that it was not ready to dump Raja. “DMK is with Raja. Raja is in DMK,” party spokesperson and Lok Sabha MP T.K.S. Elangovan said at the party headquarters.

He said he was confident Raja would come out clean.

Speaking about the seat sharing with the Congress in the coming elections, he said a party panel would discuss the issue with the Congress.

On Wednesday, the DMK, a key ally of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA), maintained a studied silence on the arrest with no leaders willing to comment on the matter.

Soon after Raja’s resignation, DMK leader and Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi had declared that action would be taken against the former if he was proven guilty.

The General Council was presided over by Karunanidhi and attended by senior leaders like K. Anbazhagan, Karunanidhi’s son and Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, his other son and cabinet minister M.K. Alagiri, state and central ministers, as well as MPs.

The General Council resolution condemned the opposition for repeatedly demanding the dismissal and arrest of Raja based on the CAG report. And it denounced the opposition for stalling parliament over the issue.

DMK sources said the General Council — contrary to popular expectation — did not discuss the possible resignation of Karunanidhi as chief minister.

“There was no discussion… The item on our agenda is winning the assembly elections,” a senior leader told IANS on the condition of anonymity.

At the same time, the DMK demanded a new agreement with Sri Lanka that would ensure the rights of Indian fishermen in and around the Katchathivu island located in the narrow sea dividing the two countries.

A DMK leader said: “We want restoration of the rights of Indian fishermen in and around the island.”

India ceded to Sri Lanka in 1974 Katchathivu, an island measuring some 285 acres (1.15 km).

The island is home to a sacred Roman Catholic church. The sea round it is rich in marine life, leading to clashes between Indian and Sri Lankan fishermen.

Sri Lankan security forces have been accused of killing fishermen from Tamil Nadu approaching Katchathivu though the 1974 accord gives them the right to dry their nets on the island.

A case filed by Jayalalithaa is pending in the Supreme Court on the transfer of the island by the Indian government.