Chennai: DMK chief M Karunanidhi today claimed that he was among many several southern leaders who had helped personalities from the region become presidents.
“People like Dr Radhakrishnan, Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy, VV Giri, R Venkataraman, Abdul Kalam and KR Narayanan from the South had occupied the post. And I have been one among the many responsible for this,” he said in a statement here.
Karunanidhi was reacting to a report which held the DMK responsible for changing certain traditions adopted in the election of President.
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“We all know what is DMK’s strength at the national level. With that strength, we make some moves during the Presidential and Vice-President elections. It was never the case that election of Presidents and Vice-Presidents was made based on the DMK’s strength alone or DMK’s decision,” he said.
On whether he would have gone for hike in milk price, bus fare and electricity tariff as done by the AIADMK government now if he had been in power, he said his party never blamed others for the state’s financial position.
Referring to West Bengal, which had to repay loans to the Centre to the tune of Rs 2 lakh crore and Rs 22,000 crore as interest, he said, “But, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has not been blaming the previous government. Instead had met the Prime Minister and sought a three year moratorium on repayment
of the loans.”
Banerjee had asked the Centre for moratorium, like the way Punjab had asked to repay its loans between 2000 and 2006, he said, adding, “but Tamil Nadu government has been taxing the people heavily.”
PTI
