The Central team was sent a day after AIADMK supremo J Jayalalitha shot off a letter to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee saying all chargesheeted members of his ministry should resign like R Muthiah of her party. And the Home Ministry officers today announced that the law and situation `' had already improved and there is every reason for it to improve further.''``It will be unfair to call Tamil Nadu a terrorist-hit state. However, there are areas used by certain elements for mischief and trouble, and these are being dealt withstringently,'' team leader Union Special Secretary Ashok Kumar told mediapersons.

``The impression that I have gathered is that....The (state) administration is working very hard to maintain law and order and, with a great deal of earnestness, to catch the people involved and unearth explosives,'' he said.Meanwhile, Kumar had `elaborate' discussions with State Government officials, including Chief Secretary K A Nambiar, Home Secretary R Poornalingam and DGP F C Sharma on Thursday.

Asked whether he was `satisfied' with the law and order situation after his discussions with the TN officials, the officer quipped, ``Nobody can be fully satisfied. There is room for further improvement.'' Already, the (extremist) elements were `on the run' after the (Tamil Nadu) Government's action. ``The situation has improved a lot but must improve further,'' he added. Before going in for discussions with State officials he told scribes that the meeting was only a `routine review' and that the team would not be visitingCoimbatore since a Commission of Inquiry was already probing the blast incidents. ``I don't intend going into the field. I will spend the entire day holding discussions with officials.'' The Coimbatore Collector and Commissioner, were also present during the meeting.

He hastened to clarify that the intention of the team was `not to put pressure' on the Government. Explaining the reason for the visit, he denied that it was an indication that the situation was `alarming' in the state.

``Heavens are not falling,'' he remarked in a jocular vein, adding that the team had been sent to see ``what is happening, what has been done and what needs to be done''.

``TN officials came to New Delhi. Now I am here,'' he said, adding that soon after Union Home Minister L K Advani assumed office, he had given `top priority' to law and order to ensure that peace and harmony prevailed in the states. Asked whether the one-day discussions would be sufficient to form an assessment of the situation, he said, ``The nature ofdiscussions with the right officials make all the difference. We can find out the truth. Moreover, I have read so much material about the Tamil Nadu situation.'' He said he would be submitting his impressions to the Union Home Ministry.

State BJP against using Article 356

COIMBATORE: Tamil Nadu BJP general secretary L Ganeshan has said that the situation, though not peaceful, did not warrant to use Article 356 in the State.Talking to newsmen here, Ganeshan said his party was not demanding the dismissal of the Karunanidhi government, but was asking the government ``to govern or quit''.

Alleging the ruling DMK for trying to stall the growth of BJP in the State, Ganeshan said his party was ready to face any challenge thrown by DMK on ideological issues.He warned that if the DMK government continued the `politically-motivated' arrests of innocent BJP workers, instead of putting curb on anti-national elements, the party would be forced to urge the Centre for its dismissal.

Ridiculing the hueand cry raised by Left parties on the visit of a Central team to the State, Ganeshan said that it had come to help TN to maintain law and order. However, Ganeshan said the situation was not that peaceful in the State, as remarked by the team. It should have visited Coimbatore to get a clear picture, he said. Welcoming AIADMK supremo Jayalalitha's opinion on resignation of `tainted' ministers from the Cabinet, Ganeshan said ``if the ministers resigned voluntarily it is well and good. But nobody should insist the prime minister to drop a minister.''