Karunanidhi slams SG for recusing from Sethusamudram case

CHENNAI: Slamming Solicitor General (SG) Mohan Parasaran for recusing himself from the Sethusamudram project case in the Supreme Court, DMK president M Karunanidhi raised doubts whether he had given an impression he was "communal."

Referring to Parasaran's withdrawal from the case citing "conflict of interest" since his father was appearing for one of the petitioners opposed to the Project, Karunanidhi said other reports also suggested that the SG had quit the case following his faith in Lord Ram.

"A section of media reported that he had withdrawn from the case since he believed Ram built the Ramasethu and that there will (also) be a conflict of interest since his father K Parasaran is appearing for a petitioner," he told reporters.

Karunanidhi said that contrary to the stand of "secular" central government its SG had made comments which were not clear if he was communal or not.

"Sethusamudram project is something which will benefit Tamil Nadu and its people. At a time when the Centre has come forward in the Supreme Court to implement it, senior advocates like Mohan Parasaran making statements contrary to Centre's opinion and like a communal (element) does not seem proper to me," he said.

Parasaran had withdrawn from the case in the Supreme Court, saying it would result in conflict of interest as his father was appearing for one of the petitioners opposing the Rs 25,000 crore shipping channel project.

"My personal faith is there. No Muslim, Christian or Hindu will go against his personal faith. But the larger issue is conflict of interest," he had said.

On September 16, the Centre had brushed aside objections raised by the Tamil Nadu government against the project by telling the Apex Court that it intends to go ahead with the venture as the expert panel headed by R K Pachauri had not come out with tenable and scientific data.

The state government had said the controversial project should be scrapped and the Centre should accept the Committee's report that has found the entire project unviable on two fronts -- economically and ecologically.