Monday, October 17 2005 15:06 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Chennai: Tamil Nadu is to explore the possibility of reserving some percentage of jobs in Government services to Muslims, taking note of the Supreme Court's verdict on a case challenging the validity of a State Government Act providing 69 per cent reservation for certain communities, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa said today (Oct 17, 2005).

Talking to reporters at the Secretariat, Jayalalithaa initially ruled out the possibility of such a reservation at the present stage but changed her stand at the fag end of the press meet.

Earlier, she said when the Act providing 69 per cent reservation was interfered with by the Supreme Court and the Act itself was in jeopardy, reservation cannot be thought of at this stage.

She later said that the demands of the Muslims will be examined taking note of the Supreme Court's verdict on the 1994 Tamil Nadu reservation act.

Her remarks assume significance as the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Chief M Karunanidhi had at a Iftar party last night promised reservation in jobs for the minorities if the DMK-led DPA came to power in the 2006 Assembly polls.

Jayalalithaa, who garlanded the statue of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) founder, late M G Ramachandran, at the party headquarters here on the occasion of the party's 37th foundation day, ruled out convening the party's state level conference before the assembly polls scheduled in May next year.

"Such conferences are wasteful and an extravagance. People are not benefited by such conferences. So I have decided against holding party conferences," she said, indirectly hitting out at the DMK, which had been organizing zonal level conferences in the past one year.