FDI: Victory in LS will ensure UPA govt stability, says Karuna

Hours after the Centre`s victory in voting on FDI in retail in Lok Sabha, DMK Chief M Karunanidhi said this would help stability of the UPA government.

Chennai: Hours after the Centre`s victory in voting on FDI in retail in Lok Sabha, DMK Chief M Karunanidhi on Wednesday said this would help stability of the UPA government.

"The vote margin will help support the principle of a stable government at the Centre", he told reporters here. Karunanidhi, whose party extended its support to UPA on the FDI in multi-brand retail, giving it a huge relief, said, "Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad telephoned me to thank for the support". To a question, he said he and his party MPs would continue to press the Centre to take steps so that small traders and farmers are not affected by the move. Karunanidhi said he had emphasised several times that a stable government at the Centre should not fall and "today`s victory in the Lok Sabha was a success in that direction". To a question, he welcomed the Supreme Court directing Karnataka to release 10,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu. In an interim relief to Tamil Nadu, the Supreme Court directed Karnataka today to release 10,000 cusecs of Cauvery water per day and asked the Cauvery Monitoring Committee (CMC) to hold its meeting to decide the amount of water required by the states. Karunanidhi accused the media of trying to create a `wedge` between him and PMK leader Ramadoss over the Dalit issue. "This will not happen", Karunanidhi said. A day after political parties, including DMK, demanded action against him for allegedly pursuing caste politics, PMK leader S Ramadoss today charged DMK chief M Karunanidhi with "disguising" himself as a friend of the Dalits. In a statement, Ramadoss said Karunanidhi had formed a coalition in 2001 by aligning with all caste leaders and had termed it as an `accomplishing coalition`. PTI