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Arrest, ban move needless: BJP

By Our Staff Reporter

VELLORE July 18. ``We expect courts to give a good decision on the justifiability of the arrest of the MDMK general secretary, Vaiko, under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, '' L. Ganesan, BJP national secretary, told newspersons after meeting him in the central prison here today.

The arrest was needless as the MDMK was not an anti-national party. Action could not be taken against anyone under the POTA based merely on speeches made by him at meetings. Mr. Vaiko had eulogised the NDA Government's nuclear experiment in Pokhran, Rajasthan, and also strongly condemned the terrorist attacks on Parliament and the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly. ``Under these circumstances, none will accept a description of Mr. Vaiko as anti-national,'' said Mr. Ganesan.

About the announcement by the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, that the Government would take steps to ban the MDMK, he said it was not an anti-national party to warrant proscription. ``Even otherwise, the State Government does not have the powers to ban a party. Only the Centre could attempt to ban a party.'' When there were many organisations in Tamil Nadu which encouraged separatism and which deserved to be banned, the State Government paid attention only to the MDMK. ``Only the courts and legal experts could opine whether the Centre could intervene in the issue,'' Mr. Ganesan replied to a question whether he wanted it to do so. Mr. Vaiko himself had said the MDMK did not want the Centre to intervene, he said.

Asked whether it was proper for a leader to support the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Mr. Ganesan said Mr. Vaiko backed the outfit only in Sri Lanka. The BJP, however, was opposed to the LTTE, but supported the POTA. But the Act should not be misused. On the need for amendments, in the light of Mr. Vaiko's arrest, he said the courts could be approached on the issue. Amendments could be considered, but the Act itself could not be reconsidered, he added. The POTA was framed by legal experts after a deep study and with great care to avoid the ill-effects of the previous Maintenance of Internal Security Act. Reacting to a press report that a comprehensive investigation by the State police was on into the case of arrest of Mr. Vaiko and that the probe would cover all aspects including fund-raising, the MDMK leader wished to communicate to newspersons through him (Mr. Ganesan) that he and the MDMK were prepared to face any threat.

``We are now friends,'' said Mr. Ganesan when asked whether there was any change in the DMK-BJP relationship.

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