Tuesday, November 29 2005 19:05 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Chennai: Seeking to put at rest the controversy over his remarks that the ongoing agitation against Kushboo's views on pre-marital sex and actress Suhasini's support to her should help DMK revive the anti Brahmin movement in the state, DMK President M Karunanidhi today (Nov 29,2005) said that his remarks had been 'twisted' by the media.

Writing in the DMK's official organ 'Murasoli', he said he had only stated that the issue should not be converted into a 'Brahmin- non Brahmin issue', which was deliberately twisted by the media.

"I had explained the entire issue following statements by alliance party leaders and the issue has come to a close'. The CPI-M and CPI had condemned Karunanidhi's remarks.

Karunanidhi sarcastically said that for those who condemned the agitation against Kushboo saying that it was uncivilised, the remarks of Suhasini, who reportedly asked 'whether Tamils are great and whether they have been born with horns on their heads,' might sound civilised.

The DMK chief said had delibarately kept quiet over this issue but had to speak out after some people quoted social reformer, the late Periyar E V Ramasamy's views, in support of their stand.

'Periyar never said that men and women should worry about chastity. An impression is sought to be created that Periyar was against chastity, which is not true."

On Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's remarks that an enquiry would be ordered into the collapse of the Amarvathy bridge near Karur within five years of it being built, he said the same yardstick should be applied to 'irregularities in the relief for Tsunami victims and in sand quarrying'.