Chennai: Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir showed that democracy had "brushed aside" terrorism and extremism, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president M Karunanidhi said on October 12.

"The election has brought to fore the truth that Democracy is peeping out of the doors of the house of Kashmir brushing aside terrorism and extremism," he told reporters when asked about the recent elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

Asked whether the outcome of Pakistan elections could be considered as an indication that dictatorship had given way to Democracy taking roots, he said that it had to be seen whether Democracy was allowed to survive.

On Chief Minister Jayalalithaa citing the example of Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Arunachal Pradesh in defence of the ordinance on conversions, he said even going by her statement it was evident that as many as 32 states did not have such an Act and the convention was to respect the majority.

Referring to Tamil film director Bharatiraja's outbursts against him, Karunanidhi said that he could only recall the encomium paid to him by the same person a few years back at a award function when he was the Chief Minister.

Asked about the indefinite holiday declared to government colleges in the state in the wake of the continuing agitation by the teachers, he criticised the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) government's approach to the issue. Instead of adopting a "threatening" posture, the government should call them for negotiations.

To a question whether law and order situation in Tamil Nadu was under control, he said that the series of news reports about murders and robbery in a daily today would give an indication in this regard.

PTI