CPI to adopt neutral stand in TN bypoll

TIRUCHIRAPALLI: The Tamil Nadu unit of the Communist party of India (CPI) has decided to adopt neutral stand in the March 18 bypoll to the Sankarankovil assembly constituency, party’s State Secretary T Pandiyan said. Addressing a press conference here, soon after the party’s state council meeting, Pandiyan said that a resolution to this effect was adopted at the meeting. He said the meeting took account of the present political situation of the state and other political parametres and decided to be neutral in the by-election. He welcomed Chief Minister J jayalalithaa and DMK President M Karunanidhi’s stand on the Sri Lankan war crimes issue and also urged the Prime Minister to back resolution seeking at the U N Rights council seeking probe into war crimes against Sri Lanka. There should be an international inquiry over the war crimes of Sri Lanka against the Sri Lankan Tamils and to step up pressure on this, the party is going to observe a state-wide fasting agitation in all the district headquarters on March 6 and called up on the political parties of Tamil Nadu to support the CPI’s efforts on this. Expressing his deep concern over the present power position of the state he appealed to Ms Jayalalithaa to approach the Centre to get adhoc additional allotment of power from central pool and to tide over the power shortage to some extent. Referring to the Koodankulam nuclear power plant, he said the party is for early commissioning of the plant, provided the authorities concerned fulfi ll the local people’s demand that job opportunities should be given them in the proposed nuclear power plant. He urged the union government to withdraw its move to evolve a national water policy as it would affect the interest of the common people.