No-go on resignation

Cabinet Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers M K Alagiri is known to follow instructions only from Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief M Karunanidhi. But this time he had to follow, however reluctantly, the script written by Karunanidhi's son and rising star M K Stalin, and resign from his ministry after his party pulled out of the United Progressive Alliance government. Ministry sources say Alagiri was distinctly unwilling to relinquish his post and had even asked to sign the Drugs Price Control Order, which has been pending for many months. He was not only the last DMK minister to submit his resignation, he also refused to accompany T R Baalu and others to meet the prime minister.