Prabhakaran not dead, claims Vaiko

MDMK founder and pro-LTTE leader Vaiko claimed on Sunday that the banned organisation's chief V Prabhakaran was not dead as told by the Sri Lankan army, and said he would "surface" at the right time to "redeem" Eelam, a separate homeland for Tamils.

In a party statement here, Vaiko said that the Tigers' Intelligence chief Arivazhagan had said that Prabhakaran was alive.

"There is not an iota of doubt in me that he is alive. He would surface at the right moment to redeem Eelam," Vaiko said.

The pro-Eelam leader also questioned Sri Lankan army's 'urgency' behind cremating Prabhakaran and immersing the ashes in the sea "when they could have carried out a DNA test to ascertain" whether the body believed to be that of Prabhakaran was really so since his father is still alive.

He alleged that Sri Lankan army was giving "contradictory statements on Prabhakaran's death".