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New Delhi, Oct 2: The Supreme Court's warning that it could order dismissal of the Karunanidhi Government if it was found defying Sunday's court order banning Monday's Tamil Nadu Bandh has confronted the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance with a major political and constitutional crisis.
While BJP welcomed the court's stand and raised the pitch for the state government's immediate dismissal, the Congress and the Left parties rallied around the beleaguered Chief Minister insisting that the DMK's protest fast did not attempt to contempt of the court.
Observers, however, felt that the final word may come from the Supreme Court when the AIADMK moves it for initiating the contempt proceedings against the Tamil Nadu government at its next sitting on Wednesday.
During its harsh observations on a similar complaint by the AIADMK on Monday morning, the apex court has made it clear that it was free to move for the contempt application and the court will take a serious view if it came to the conclusion that its orders were defied.
AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa has already declared that the DMK's protest fast on Monday amounted to the contempt of the court and the party is documenting proof of violation of the Supreme Court's ban order to convince the court.
Given the tone and tenor of the court's observations on Sunday and Monday, there is a strong possibility that the apex court may issue notice to the state's chief secretary of chief minister to show cause why contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated against the state government, a senior Supreme Court lawyer said.
While AIADMK lawyers plan their next assault on the legal front BJP president Rajnath Singh led the assault on the DMK government in Tamil Nadu and the UPA government in the Centre on the legal front.
He demanded imposition of the President's rule in Tamil Nadu and sacking of DMK's Shipping Minister TR Balu from the Union Government for his criticism of the way the Supreme Court had handled the Sethu Samudram case.
"A union cabinet minister raising inappropriate questions against the observations of the Supreme Court and challenging the authority of the courts is a dangerous precedent marking a direct confrontation between the executive and judiciary," the BJP chief said.
Ignoring the demands from the BJP, the AIADMK and some other parties, the UPA and its supporter Left parties have decided to stand by the DMK during the recent crisis.
Speaking for the UPA Government, minister for parliamentary affairs Priyaranjan Dasmunshi said that the Tamil Nadu chief minister was not defying SC's directions but merely protesting in a non-violent manner on the foot steps of Mahatma Gandhi.
The Left parties have gone a step further. Both CPI(M) general Secretary Prakash Karat and CPI national secretary D Raja described the Supreme Court's observation as uncalled for judicial encroachment on democratic rights of the people.
Despite supporting Karunanidhi the Congress party that heads the UPA government is keeping its fingers crossed and hoping that the Supreme Court can be convinced that there was no violation of its orders.
Reliable sources said that immediately after the apex court's stinging operation on the developments in Tamil Nadu, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and prime minister Manmohan Singh got in touch with chief minister M Karunanidhi and advised him restraint.
"It was on their suggestion that Karunanidhi broke his fast before sunset and attended normal work at his office," a senior UPA leader said.