CPI(M) on Thursday demanded to know if DMK's recent general council meet decision on legally fighting alleged cases of land grabbing against its workers was only for public consumption,in view of the party moving Madras High Court, seeking a bar on registering 'false FIRs' on such cases.

"DMK owes an explanation on what made it move the Court. Is the party afraid to face the cases through the special courts to be set up for the purpose, or is it to protect those allegedly involved in land grabbing?" CPI(M) Tamil Nadu secretary G Ramakrishnan asked at a press conference in Coimbatore.

Alleging that there were a large number of land grab cases in Tamil Nadu in DMK rule in 2006-2011, he said it was for the courts to decide fate of these cases, which DMK claimed to be 'false ones initiated for settling political scores.'

He wanted to know what prevented DMK President M Karunanidhi, who had sought a probe into all such cases during the previous AIADMK regime in 2001-2006,from ordering inquiry into such deals, when he was chief minister from 2006-11.

Reiterating the party's resolve to hold direct elections to chairpersons of local bodies, polls for which are scheduled in October, he said the government should bring in an amendment to provide 50 per cent reservation for women in civic bodies, as done by the Centre.

On Uniform System Education (Samacheer Kalvi) issue, he said CPI(M) was totally for it and added that government could have avoided moving court, as students had lost nearly two months due to non availability of textbooks.

The party would stage a demonstration in front of Parliament on Sept 7, demanding that the Centre use diplomatic channels to exert pressure on Sri Lanka to give equal rights to Tamils in the island nation and also share in power, as Tamil National Alliance had won a majority in recently held polls, he said.

CPI(M) would take a pledge on August 15 in Chennai on its resolve to fight corruption, he said.