The simmering differences between the DPA allies—the DMK and the PMK—surfaced today with the DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi asking the PMK founder Dr S Ramadoss to refrain from going to the media and criticising his Government.

“If he has grievances on the functioning of my Government, he can very well meet me or talk to me over telephone instead of going to the media, compelling us to reply to the charges, which is not desirable,” he said in a lengthy statement here, replying to several charges levelled by Dr Ramadoss. Among the PMK leader’s charges are that the Government is blind to the acts of self-financing colleges.

The Chief Minister said it would be better if Dr Ramadoss refrained from expressing his opinion on several issues in the open as it would send out wrong signals that all was not well among allies of the DMK-led DPA in the state.

He said there was a general feeling that the relationship between the two parties would be spoilt by the PMK leader’s remarks on the functioning of Higher Education Minister Dr K Ponmudi over the charges. The Minister had merely sought proof so that action could be taken against the institutes, he said.

“Even now I assure Dr Ramadoss that action will be taken against institutions charging higher fees if he provides proof,” Karunanidhi said, adding that the DMK was second to none in protecting the interests of students.

On the PMK leader’s unhappiness over seating arrangements during the July 1 women’s rally, addressed by UPA presidential nominee Pratibha Patil, the Chief Minister said Central security agencies had instructed the state Government to provide high-level security to those likely to occupy high constitutional posts. Dr Ramadoss, at a function here on Monday, had alleged that the DPA leaders had been forced to watch the proceedings standing in the sun, “all in the name of protocol”.