DMK, PMK heading for split?

The raging war of attrition between Pattali Makkal Katchi founder-leader S Ramadoss and ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's senior leader Arcot N Veerasamy might rock the alliance between the parties, with the latter daring the PMK leader to file a case against him. 

Veerasamy's angry outbursts was in connection with his charge that the PMK leader had built a college in farm lands in Villupuram district and Dr Ramadoss launching a mud slinging campaign against him, while stoutly denying the allegations against him.

Veerasamy's tirade against Dr Ramadoss, whose party is a key ally of the DMK-led Democratic Progressive Alliance, appeared to have had the approval of DMK president M Karunanidhi as the leader chose to maintain silence. 

This was the second time in recent months that Veerasamy had locked horns with the PMK leader. When Dr Ramadoss turned an acerbic critic of the DMK government a few months ago, the DMK Treasurer had suggested to Karunanidhi that the party should severe ties with the PMK and face the next assembly election without any alliance. 

The weeklong war of words between them took a serious turn on Friday with Dr Ramasoss taking a media team to Villupuram to show that farm lands were not usurped to build the college and Veerasamy reiterating his charge and challenging Dr Ramadoss to file a case against him. 

The fight between the two leaders appeared to have reached a point of no return as Veerasamy said he too had a list (of corruption charges) about the PMK leader and the latter was free to release the list about him. 

The DMK leader said he could not be cowed down by such threats as he had faced income tax and disproportionate assets cases. ''My life is an open book and Dr Ramadoss can turn any page,'' he said.  Veerasamy also questioned Dr Ramadoss' claim of being the only leader of the more than 1.5 crore Vanniyas (a Most Backward Class community) in the State. 

On Dr Ramadoss' curse that he would be good for nothing, he said being in the DMK, a rationalist party, he did not believe in curses and wished the PMK leader a long life.