Accusing Tamil Nadu Chief Minister of directly supporting the LTTE, AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa on Tuesday asked the Centre to take stern action against him.
CHENNAI: Accusing Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi of directly supporting the LTTE, AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa on Tuesday asked the Centre to take stern action against him for having "facilitated the release of an LTTE supporter" on bail.
Her charge comes at a time when Karunanidhi is visiting New Delhi to take part in the Chief Ministers Conference on Internal Security on December 20.
"On a tip-off from central agencies, one Vanniyarasu, belonging to ruling DMK's ally Viduthalai Chiruthaigal (VC), was arrested by police for allegedly supplying boats to the banned outfit," she said in a statement.
Within few hours of the news got spread, VC Chief Thol Tirumavalavan called on Karunanidhi and Vanniyarasu was released on bail on the same day, she claimed.
"Though, it may appear that they are two different incidents, those who are well-informed can realise the truth. By releasing Vanniyarasu on bail, Karunanidhi is directly supporting the LTTE," she charged.
Jayalalithaa further said "it is my duty to remind the Central and state governments, particularly the Prime Minister and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, that the LTTE was banned for assassinating former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on the Tamil soil."
"Even eight years after the Supreme Court confirmed the death penalty for the assassins of Rajiv, the relevant files are still sleeping in the name of mercy petitions."
"Why has the Congress-controlled Home Ministry not brought this to light? Why is this silence? Is Sonia Gandhi not keen on implementing the death sentence of those who gruesomely killed Rajiv?" she asked.
Karunanidhi's action of penning elegy for LTTE leaders Anton Balasingham and Thamilchelvan, despite being part of the UPA government, was nothing but throwing a challenge to the Centre, Jayalalithaa said.
"I would like to caution the Centre that if it failed to take stern action against those who supported banned outfits, terrorism, which was rearing its ugly head in Kashmir, Punjab, Assam and north-eastern states, would spread its tentacles, posing a danger to the sovereignty of the nation," she said.
"It's a matter of shame that Karunanidhi, who is openly supporting the LTTE, is going to participate in the conference on internal security. The Centre should not have invited him to the conference. It is a mistake," she added.
Referring to Thirumavalavan's reported statement that there was nothing wrong in supporting the LTTE and the Central intelligence agencies were spreading rumours about the outfit, Jayalalithaa asked "how did he get the audacity? Karunanidhi's support gives him the courage to make such remarks. The Centre's callous attitude in not implementing the death penalty for Rajiv's assassins has also emboldened them."
The AIADMK supremo said the Centre should realise that repeal of POTA was a mistake and take steps for its implementation to root out terrorism and extremism.
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