New Delhi: The Congress today (Nov 1, 2004) accused Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa of "violating" the Constitution and committing "breach of privilege and confidentiality" by making public her telephonic conversation with Union Home Minister.

Making the charge, AICC (All India Congress Committee) media department chairperson Girija Vyas, however, refrained from commenting whether Jayalalithaa's action in connection with the issue of shifting the State Governor was a "fit case" for imposition of President's rule in the State.

"Why Jayalalithaa is afraid of any Governor, if there is transparency and good governance?" she countered while talking to reporters.

When told that the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister was now claiming that she had not taped the conversation with Shivraj Patil but had only given out its "gist", Vyas said she had no comments to offer if Jayalalithaa was changing her statements.

She said that whatever Jayalalithaa has done in the matter was "not in accordance with the Constitution, comes under privilege and is breach of the oath of secrecy."

The Congress statement came close on the heels of the DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) president M Karunanidhi, disputing Jayalalithaa's claim.

"Nobody is prepared to believe her statement that she did not tape the conversation," he said adding the denial was only as "an after thought, because of the experience of former American President Nixon and former Karnataka Chief Minister Ramakrishna Hegde, who had to lay down office because they were caught in telephone tapping cases," he said.