DMK patriach and Tamil Nadu chief minister M. Karunanidhi on Saturday charged AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa with shedding 'crocodile tears' for Muslims and said her election promise to increase reservation quota for them if voted to power was only an attempt to deceive them.
Asserting that it was his government which provided 3.5 per cent reservation for Muslims, he said in the DMK's official organ 'Murasoli' that the minority community could not be deceived by her statement.
He said the 'bondage' between Muslims and DMK had begun from the days of IUML founder late Mohammed Ismail and DMK founder late C.N. Annadurai and it continued even now.
When IUML on its own gave up one seat to accomodate the Congress demand of 63 seats for the April 13 polls, he himself had initiated steps for merger of IUML and Tamil Nadu National League and restored three seats to IUML.
"What did Jayalalithaa, who now speaks of increasing the quota do when she was chief minister for two terms?" he asked.
Recalling her speech in the National Integration Council meeting in 1991 supporting Kar Seva during the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, Karunanidhi said she went on record to say that if Muslims were given reservation, it would open up a Pandora's box as other minorities would also raise such a demand.
Karunanidhi said she had even asked if there was no place for a Ram temple at Ayodhya, where else would it then be?
Would Muslims forget all these remarks and believe her speech for increasing the quota for them, he asked.