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No violation of oath of office, says MDMK Minister

By Our Special Correspondent

COIMBATORE AUG. 1. The Union Minister of State for Non-Conventional Energy Sources and the treasurer of the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, M. Kannappan, today pooh-poohed the AIADMK MPs' demand for "disqualifying'' him for his alleged support to the LTTE contending that there was "no violation of the oath of office''.

Speaking at a meet-the-press programme here, he said the MDMK would support any organisation that fought for the "rights and self-respect'' of Sri Lankan Tamils. "We have also rendered our moral support to the LTTE only on that basis''.

At the same time, he clarified that support to the LTTE did not mean that its functioning should be allowed on Indian soil. "The MDMK will vehemently oppose any organisation which instigates violence or indulges in anti-national activities in any part of India''. This had been the "clear-cut'' policy of his party

``Yesterday, in Parliament, some of the members have said that my speech amounts to violation of the oath of office. That is incorrect and politically motivated,'' he said and asserted that "at no point of time'' had the MDMK mentioned that it was not concerned over the sovereignty and integrity of India. "So the alleged support to the LTTE will not amount to violation of the oath of office. So the question of disqualification will not at all arise''. He expressed "satisfaction'' over the observation of the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, that law and order was a State subject and hence the Centre would not interfere in this regard. His party would never seek the Centre's intervention. He was also happy that both the NDA and also the BJP had deplored the arrest of Mr. Vaiko.

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