Date:23/09/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/09/23/stories/2003092305451200.htm

National

MDMK leaders meet Advani

By Our Legal Correspondent

NEW DELHI SEPT. 22. The Union Minister of State for Textiles, Gingee Ramachandran, and the MDMK party Presidium Chairman, L. Ganesan, today met the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, and understood to have discussed matters pertaining to detention of their leader, Vaiko, under the Prevention of Terrorism Act since July.

Though they declined to divulge the meeting's outcome, it assumes significance in the wake of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa's letter to the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, on the speeches purported to have been made by the MDMK Minister, M. Kannappan, supporting the LTTE.

Talking to reporters, Mr. Ganesan said, "as far as our stand is concerned, we have given moral support to the suffering masses in Sri Lanka. We have reiterated it. What Mr. Kannappan said recently was a reiteration of our stand. The manner in which he might have said this might be different".

On Ms. Jayalalithaa's letter, he said it was between the Tamil Nadu Government and Mr. Vajpayee and only the Prime Minister or his office could react to this. Asked why they met Mr. Advani, he said, "we discussed matters pertaining to Mr. Vaiko but we can't give the details".