Saturday, Jul 13, 2002
Saturday, Jul 13, 2002 |
| Front Page | ||
|
News:
Front Page |
National |
Southern States |
Other States |
International |
Opinion |
Business |
Sport |
Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary | Front Page
By Our Special Correspondent
``I think the MDMK deserves to be banned because in their executive committee meeting, they have passed a resolution that the very purpose of the existence of the party, the very purpose of their participation in the Central Government is only in order to support the Tamils in Eelam. It shows they are not here to do anything for India or for Tamil Nadu or for Tamils in India,'' she told reporters. ``When they are so vocal in their support for a banned organisation, and when they go on obstinately proclaiming that they will not change their stand, and that they will continue to support the LTTE, I think that it is something very dangerous which cannot be tolerated. We are going to initiate steps to have the MDMK banned,'' she said. Asked if the State Government would demand the resignation of the MDMK Ministers from the Centre, she said she could not give a ``blow by blow'' account ``like a cricket commentary'' of what her Government intended to do on the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. To a question whether the State would ban the MDMK under its own laws, she said the State could not ban an organisation throughout the country. The State Government would take steps as and when necessary. ``I cannot give statements just in order to provide sensational headlines for you.'' Denying that the AIADMK Government had any ``political motive'' in arresting Mr.Vaiko, she said she did not consider Mr. Vaiko a competitor. ``I do not consider Mr. Vaiko as a rival at all. He never has been a competition to me, he never will be,'' she said. The arrest situation was not of the Government's choosing. ``Left to me, I would rather not have taken this action,'' she added. Asked why police had sought non-bailable warrants when these were not necessary under POTA, she said they felt that these were necessary. Asked about the use of POTA against other parties such as the PMK, the DPI and the DK, which are also supportive of the LTTE, she said the statements of the leaders of these outfits were ``carefully worded'' and did not attract the provisions of POTA. But if they supported the LTTE openly in the manner of Mr. Vaiko, the Government would take action against them too. Asked about the BJP's description of the arrest as ``unwarranted'', Ms. Jayalalithaa said the statement of the BJP spokesman, Arun Jaitley, was made out of ``political compulsions.'' The arrest of Mr. Vaiko would not give ``new strength'' to Tamil nationalist groups. The Government would put down the activities of such groups with an ``iron hand.'' If people like Mr. Vaiko, who glorified a terrorist and criminal like Prabakaran, were allowed to make statements in support of the LTTE, it would corrupt the mind of a whole generation. The LTTE was a terrorist organisation and its leader, Prabakaran, was a proclaimed offender in the Rajiv assassination case. Answering a question, she said she was not involved in any way in the Sri Lankan peace process, but she had warned the Sri Lankan Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, in her capacity as a good friend that the LTTE was ``unreliable.'' Groups such as the TNLA and the TNRT gained a new life because of the support of the LTTE, which had links with the ULFA and the PWG.
MDMK Minister throws a challenge
Printer friendly
page
News:
Front Page |
National |
Southern States |
Other States |
International |
Opinion |
Business |
Sport |
Miscellaneous |
|
|
|
The Hindu Group: Home | About Us | Copyright | Archives | Contacts | Subscription Group Sites: The Hindu | Business Line | The Sportstar | Frontline | Home |
Copyright © 2002, The
Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of
this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of
The Hindu
|
