New Delhi: The arrest of former telecom
minister A Raja will not have any impact on the relations
between DMK and Congress, which announced a two-member team of
its senior leaders to hold seat sharing talks with the ally
for the Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu.
Union Ministers Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is the AICC
general secretary in-charge of the state, and Vayalar Ravi
will hold seat sharing talks with DMK, party sources said.
"The relationship between the two parties is intact.
It (Raja`s arrest) will have no effect on Congress-DMK
relationship. The ties between the parties are based on
principles, policies and issues," Azad told reporters here.
He said that the relationship between Congress and DMK
is not an arrangement based on relationship between two
persons, which will be affected by something concerning an
individual.
At the same time, he said, "First of all whatever
allegations are there are to be probed. One cannot be branded
guilty on the basis of suspicion."
He was replying to a question whether Raja`s arrest
was an embarrassment for the Congress-led government at the
Centre.
Though noting that it was not something which had
happened for the first time in Indian or world politics, he
acknowledged that what has happened was sad.
Asked whether DMK chief M Karunanidhi was taken into
confidence on the issue of Raja`s arrest, Azad said CBI has
its own way of doing things and it does not consult political
leadership before taking any such actions like on what day it
will arrest whom.
Azad refused to go into the issue of how many seats
Congress would seek from DMK in Tamil Nadu saying the issue is
between the two parties and they will discuss and decide over
it when they sit together.
He parried a question on Congress` reservations over
aligning with PMK saying this is something that the party
would discuss with DMK during seat sharing talks.
There was however no reaction from DMK on Raja`s
arrest.
PTI
