By IANS
Chennai : With his remarks on Lord Ram drawing the ire of Hindu groups, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi Thursday struck a placatory note by saying he did not wish to hurt anyone’s sentiments.
His comments came on a day when Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani said in Chennai that he should “withdraw” his “statements on Ram”.
“My intention was not to hurt anyone’s feeling but only to ensure that the Sethusamudram Canal project is implemented,” DMK chief Karunanidhi said.
“It is a century-old dream of the Tamil people…that is the DMK objective,” he said after a meeting of senior DMK leaders called to discuss the controversy over the Sethusamudram Canal.
Upset with the demand of pro-Hindutva groups to stop the Sethusamudram ship canal project, Karunanidhi has repeatedly said Ram is a myth and an imaginary figure.
The BJP and affiliated groups have been opposing the Sethusamudram canal on the grounds that it will damage the Ram Sethu – held sacred by millions of Hindus.
The central government, of which DMK is a part, wants to press ahead with the project, as it will cut short the navigational distance between the eastern and western coasts of India by nearly 800 km. The government had even submitted an affidavit in the Supreme Court Sep 12, questioning the historical existence of Lord Ram, but withdrew it after strong protests from the BJP and pro-Hindutva groups.
“I would like the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, Karunanidhi, to withdraw his statements (on Ram), which I regard as an affront, pouring contempt on the religious feelings of the majority in the country,” Advani told the media here.
Advani, on his way back from Palayamkottai where he attended the state council meet of the party, said in Chennai, “Elections are likely to take place in early 2008.”
Advani did not answer a media question on whether the BJP would ally with the AIADMK in the election, but said, “The Congress and Left parties are the only inimical ones. The party (BJP) will not hesitate to have alliances with others.”
Talking about the attack on the house of Karunanidhi’s elder daughter Selvi in Bangalore this week, Advani said the Sangh Parivar, or the fraternity of Hindu religious parties, was not responsible for it.
“Whoever did it, we strongly condemn the attack,” Advani said.
Advani also said he was in Chennai to visit Jana Krishnamurthy, a former BJP president, “who has been ill for the last one month”.