Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna and his Tamil Nadu counterpart M Karunanidhi are to meet in Chennai again on Friday to discuss forest brigand Veerappan's response to their stand on his demands to end the 26-day hostage crisis. Video cassettes containing the notorious sandalwood smuggler's message to the two governments were brought by official emissary and Tamil magazine Nakkeeran editor R R Gopal on Thursday and handed over to the Tamil Nadu government. After a more than two-and-half-hour-long discussion with Mr Karunanidhi at his Gopalapuram residence in Chennai, Mr Gopal told waiting reporters that he had handed over the cassettes containing Veerappan's ''clarifications'' to the responses offered by the two governments to his charter of demands.
Refusing to elaborate, Mr Gopal left in his waiting car saying ''Mr Krishna is arriving in Chennai tomorrow morning.'' Mr Gopal, who was accompanied by his colleagues including associate editor A Kamaraj, just said he would meet the press tomorrow evening.
Bureau Report