Chennai, Oct 01: Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee should not allow the arrest of union minister and MDMK treasurer M Kannappan by the Tamil Nadu government, DMK, a key constituent of the NDA, said here today. Party president M Karunanidhi told reporters here that allowing the arrest of MDMK chief Vaiko under Pota was a "mistake" by the Centre, and now Kannappan should not be arrested.

On Vajpayee's rejection of resignation by Human Resources Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi, he said there was no need for the resignation at all. A minister should not quit just because an FIR was filed or charges framed against him, he said. Karunanidhi said the party would go ahead with its picketing programme on December one, demanding repeal of Pota. Picketing would be organised in all taluk headquarters, he said after DMK district secretaries' meeting which discussed the arrangements for the agitation.

There was nothing wrong for a party, which was part of a government, to organise an agitation against the government, he said adding that CPI, a constituent of the United Front government, had organised an agitation against the government. Asked whether the agitation would mark the start of the process of DMK quitting the NDA, Karunanidhi said he did not think so. "We are only pressing our demand," he said.

Bureau Report