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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Monday called upon the people to reject political party leaders who propagated division of the state and thus challenged the nation's unity.
She was referring to PMK founder Ramadoss' demand for the bifurcation of Tamil Nadu along caste lines.
"Divisions based on caste and religion cannot be allowed. Those seeking separatism should be crushed with an iron-hand," Jayalalithaa said adding, "Such leaders should be rejected and driven away from public life."
Meanwhile, in a statement from Chennai, DMK president M Karunanidhi joined issue with Jayalalithaa for referring to the party's earlier separatist demand.
"It only shows that the chief minister is not aware that the DMK had given up the demand following external threats to the nation," he said in reference to the Chinese aggression at the time the demand had been made.
Karunanidhi was unhappy at the DMK being unnecessarily dragged into the bifurcation issue by the chief minister and Ramadoss.
Karunanidhi also joined issue with Ramadoss for claiming that the DMK had not done anything for the Vanniar backers, the main support base of the PMK.
He pointed out that T G Venkataraman, a Vanniar, had been the DMK's representative in the Union Cabinet in 1989.
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