'Prabhakaran behind Tamilchelvan's death'

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Congress leader SR Balasubramanian on Friday alleged that Tamil Tigers leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran had masterminded the killing of his senior colleague, SP Tamilchelvan.

"According to the information I have, it was Prabhakaran who was responsible for the elimination of Tamilchelvan," Balasubramanian told the media here.

Tamilchelvan, who headed the political wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), was killed in a Sri Lankan air attack in the island's north Nov 2, according to both the Tigers and Colombo.

"It was the LTTE chief who let the (Sri Lankan) army know about the whereabouts of Tamilchelvan," Balasubramanian alleged, saying there was no other way the Sri Lankan Air Force could have known where he was.

Balasubramanian also criticised Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK for supporting the LTTE and said Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi's ode to the slain Tamilchelvan was "wrong and unacceptable".

"We (Congress Party) have our own ideology, just as the DMK has its own. Though we work with them, we will oppose ideologically unacceptable things."