Chennai, December 13: A day after Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) leader Dr S Ramadoss demanded bifurcation of the state, emboldened by the Centre’s nod for carving out a separate Telangana state, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President M Karunanidhi today ruled out such bifurcation.
When asked about the demand for bifurcation of Tamil Nadu in some quarters, Mr Karunanidhi, in an apparent reference to the PMK leader’s demand, said there was no room for such demands inTamil Nadu.
“Neither the ruling DMK nor the people of Tamil Nadu have such views”, he said, emphatically ruling out any move to bifurcate the state.
A couple of days after the UPA government at the Centre, bowing to Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leader K Chandrasekhara Rao’s 11-day fast-unto-death agitation, promised to initiate steps for carving out a seperate Telangana state in Andhra Pradesh, Dr Ramadoss favouredbifurcation of Tamil Nadu for better administration.
To substantiate his demand, Dr Ramadoss said newly-formed states in the country had been doing well on the development front and wantedTamil Nadu also to be divided. Dr Ramadoss said his party was the first to moot the idea of bifurcating Tamil Nadu a decade ago. But there was opposition to it then.
Now there would not be any opposition as some ”new-found enthusiasts” had taken up the issue after the Centre had given its concurrence for the formation of Telangana by bifurcating Andhra Pradesh.
Asked whether the Centre had failed to handle the Telangana issue properly, Mr Karunaidhi said any delayed decision should not be taken in haste.
–Agencies