Reiterating that Ram was just a character in Ramayana and his existence cannot be accepted, Karunanidhi said whatever he had said about Ram was only from the Valmiki’s Ramayana. “I have only repeated what Valmiki had said about Ram in Ramayana. The author of Ramayana has described him as a kudikaran (drunkard). But I have not made any such comment. Let Advani study Valmiki’s Ramayana fully and come to debate about it with me,” Karunanidhi told reporters, rejecting Advani’s demand that he withdraw his comments on Ram.

The DMK chief stuck to his stand that Ram was a lie. On Union Law Minister H R Bhardwaj's comments that the existence of Ram was as true as the Himalayas and Ganga, Karunanidhi said “my remarks were as true as his”.

However, a transcript of his media interaction faxed to newspaper offices later in the afternoon, dropped the word “kudikaran” . According to the fax version, Karunanidhi had stated that Ram used to drink a kind of liquor called somapanam.

Pointing out that the Constitution did not bar anyone from speaking on Ram, he said: “I have not hurt anyone by my remarks. Expressing the views which are already in writing cannot be termed as wounding the sentiments of somebody else. The DMK has never done anything which would hurt the sentiments of either the Hindus or anybody else and the party would not do so in the future.”

‘No problem with alignment’

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi indicated that he had no objection to an alternative alignment as long as the project is completed. “We do not bother about the alignment. What we need is speedy implementation of the Sethusamudram project,” Karunanidhi told reporters. “Right from the day one, the DMK never demanded that the project should be completed by demolishing the Ram Sethu, and we stick to that stand,” he said.