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NT Bureau
Chennai, May 9:
 

        The PMK supremo may be angry with smoke coming out of his ears over the Chief Minister's plea on the 'skull symbol' on beedi packets. But unmidful of his ally's ire, M Karunanidhi today reiterated his appeal to the Centre to defer the implementation of a GO issued by Health Ministry to stick a skull and bone symbol on beedi packets.

        Replying to a call attention motion moved by Congress Whip Peter Alphonse on Central government order on beedi, Karunanidhi said that he had written a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Health Minister Anbumani on the issue immediately as lakhs of workers would be affected.

        Referring to his letter, the Chief Minister claried that he had only demanded to postpone the implementation of the said GO. 'If they had read the contents properly, the PMK would not have opposed me,' he said and added that the Centre should defer a move if it was opposed by the people respecting their sentiments.

        Citing the example of the State government postponing the plan to set up a satellite town near Chennai after opposition to it, he said the Central government should also temporarily drop the said order which could be implemented a later stage.

        He said that the Central government has appointed a three-member committee headed by Union Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee to review the issue.

        Earlier, Peter Alphonse raising the issue requested the Chief Minister to bring the issue to the notice of the Prime Minister who would be in Chennai on Friday to participate in the felicitation function for Karunanidhi.

        Over 10 lakh families in the State would be affected by the GO, he asaid.

        Yesterday in Tirunelveli over 1 lakh women participated in a rally to protest against the order.

        PMK Floor Leader G K Mani said the order was issued with good intention of creating awareness among the public on the ill-effects of beedi smoking. However, the GO was issued as per the direction of WHO.

        CPI-M Legislative Party Leader C Govindasamy said that the GO was issued without considering the plight of workers involved in the beedi rolling industry. 'By sticking the symbol alone one cannot persuade a person from not smoking.'

        Public awareness should be created on the ill-effects of smoking and other such habits instead of printing symbols on the products, he added.