On Sunday, a sullen Tamil Nadu chief minister, M. Karunanidhi, used the dais at a private wedding function to lash out at the Congress. The reason for his unhappiness was his ally’s failure to back his government in the face of strident accusations from the AIADMK that Tamil Nadu had become ‘a hunting ground’ for the LTTE again.

Worse, according to Karunanidhi, were Congress leaders like P. Chidambaram joining in the blame game, accusing his government of doing precious little in reining in the pro-Tiger outfits. Asserting that he was ready to demit office but not his self-respect, Karunanidhi said: “I am prepared to face anything. But this is not good for you or your future. It is not good for Tamil Nadu or for its people who are living peacefully.” He told his allies that all of them had an equal responsibility to ensure that the country’s interests were not jeopardised.

Karunanidhi has been walking a tight rope since his government’s dismissal in January 1991, a few months before Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination. His regime was accused of providing logistical support to the LTTE in its mission to assassinate EPRLF leader Padmanabha. Padmanabha and 13 of his supporters were killed in June 1990 by LTTE cadres in Chennai.

After coming to power in 1996 on an anti-Jayalalithaa wave, Karunanidhi avoided Tiger company, not wanting a repeat of the 1991 debacle. But the DMK’s indictment by the Jain Commission for its alleged role in Rajiv’s assassination, and the subsequent demand by the Congress for its ouster from the United Front coalition, leading to the fall of the Gujral government, left a huge burden on Karunanidhi’s shoulders. He had to cleanse himself of any pro-LTTE stigma that could damage his political stock.

... contd.