'K-Family vs Tamil Nadu'

Vaiko, who broke off from the DMK-led Democratic Progressive Alliance in early March, said his erstwhile mentor, Karunanidhi, was ‘‘more interested in his family’s welfare than that of Tamil Nadu’’.

Releasing his party’s manifesto and list of candidates last night after a lengthy speech, Vaiko said the DMK, a constituent of the Congress-led UPA, was using its clout at the Centre ‘‘to enhance the economic prosperity’’ of the Sun TV group belonging to Union Minister Dayanidhi Maran’s family.

The MDMK too is a constituent of the UPA, extending outside support to the Congress-led Government at the Centre. Still smarting at the total blackout of his functions and programmes by Sun TV despite he being a part of the DPA, Vaiko said the group controlled assets worth Rs 6,000 crore, pointing to the channel’s advertisement ahead of its proposed IPO. Dayanidhi Maran was ‘‘misusing his office’’ to promote the group’s interests and ‘‘destroy competition’’, Vaiko said, dubbing it ‘‘media terrorism’’.

MDMK fine print

• The manifesto welcomes Jayalalithaa government’s legislation to take over the cable television network which would greatly affect Sumangali Cable Vision, owned by the Maran family, which enjoys virtual monopoly in the state. The party also called for the setting up of a State Cable Corporation to check monopoly and regulate the cable network in the state.

• Says Union ministers ‘‘ignoring’’ the state government and going against the country’s “democratic and federal policy”.

• Demands a separate country in Sri Lanka for Tamils, the only ‘‘possible and lasting’’ solution to the ethnic conflict

• For Nationalisation of inter-state rivers and linking of all rivers in the southern peninsula