Date:12/07/2002 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2002/07/12/stories/2002071205470100.htm

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Unwarranted, says Jaitley

By Vinay Kumar

NEW DELHI JULY 11. While the Centre adopted a cautious stance of "wait and watch'' over the arrest of the MDMK leader, Vaiko, under the Prevention of Terrorism Act today, the Bharatiya Janata Party — senior partner in the ruling National Democratic Alliance — termed his arrest as "unwarranted.''

Home Ministry sources said that the anti-terrorist law had safeguards and an in-built mechanism of checks and balances, capable of checking any "misuse" of POTA. "The State police have executed non-bailable warrants issued by the court. There is very little that the Centre can do as law and order is a State subject.''

On the other hand, the BJP maintained that Mr. Vaiko's arrest, the first of an MP under the new anti-terrorist law, was "unwarranted,'' particularly when he had explained the context of his statement reportedly made in support of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, a banned terrorist organisation.

The party spokesman, Arun Jaitley, said that after the MDMK leader's explanation, the invocation of POTA was not warranted. "We do not agree with what he says but many of our allies have made statements with which we do not agree,'' Mr. Jaitley said here. Asked if Mr. Vaiko's arrest had put the BJP in a dilemma over POTA, he said: "I do not think there is any cause for a dilemma. A strong anti-terrorist law was needed. It is to be implemented by the State Government.'' There was a mechanism of review committee, headed by a High Court judge, to oversee the implementation of the Act.