Talking to newspersons here, he said he never expected Vajpayee to make such a statement. The BJP's credibility would plummet if the Article was used against the Bihar Government, he added.

``The BJP has been saying for the last six months that the Article 356 will not be misused. I would urge them to think twice before taking any drastic step which would cost their credibility,'' he added.

Asserting that the DMK would steadfastly oppose the use of Article 356 against any state government, Karunanidhi said the BJP governments had been the victim of Article 356 in the past. The DMK and the BJP shared the same opinion about Article 356 when BJP governmentswere dismissed, he pointed out.

He recalled that the DMK had opposed the dismissal of BJP governments in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh when the Kalyan Singh Government in Uttar Pradesh was dismissed in the wake of the Babri Masjid demolition in December 1992.

Replying to another question, Karunanidhi reiterated his stand that maintenance of good relations with the Centre did not imply support for the BJP.

Stating that the DMK shared the Left parties' view that the BJP was communal, he, however, said he had taken exception to the Left parties' earlier offer of unilateral support to the Congress in case it attempted to form an alternative government at the Centre.

Karunanidhi said he had made it clear to Communist Party of India (CPI) General Secretary A B Bardhan and CPI(M) leader H S Surjeet when they called on him recently that they should not have made any such offer without consulting the DMK and the Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC).

Asked if the DMK would support the Congress if itattempted to form an alternative government at the Centre, he said: ``why should we take a stand at this juncture when the Congress has not even approached us.'' Moreover, there was no threat to the BJP-led government at the Centre now, he pointed out.

He reiterated that all issues relating to the `Third Front' would be discussed when leaders of the Left parties and DMK would meet at Delhi in the middle of October.

On Cauvery, he said that Vajpayee has assured that he would convene a meeting of the Cauvery River Water Authority to frame rules and regulations for the proposed monitoring committee after his return from the United Karunanidhi said he had also brought to the prime minister's notice, the shortfall of 30 TMC Ft in the Cauvery water released by Karnataka in June and July. The release during September was normal so far, he added.

He said he had written to his Karnataka counterpart J H Patel, explaining the State Government's position in respect of the water releases following a recent statementissued by the latter on the basis of media reports and AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalitha's allegation that the Mettur reservoir was fast getting depleted.

Textile Strike

: Karunanidhi today said leaders of trade unions in the textile sector would meet him on September 26, in a bid to suggest measures to resolve the crisis facing the textile industry and workers.

He said he had already appealed to the textile workers not to resort to road blockade or rail baro agitations. ``The Centre, which has to take the initiative in resolving the problems faced by the textile industry and workers, is seized of the issue,'' he added.

Karunanidhi recalled that he had written to the Centre on July 30 last in this regard. During his talks with Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Jaswant Singh on August 5, he had discussed the issue. Also, Vajpayee's visit to the city on September 15, he had explained to him in detail about the problems faced by the textile industry and workers. Vajpayee admitted that thiswas a nation-wide problem, he added.

He said Union Textiles Minister Kashiram Rana had written to him on September 17 last that, on the basis of the state government's suggestion, talks were held with the reserve bank and financial institutions on August 28.