For pro-LTTE speech, Jaya throws POTA book at Vaiko

The FIR was filed by Tirumangalam taluka Police Inspector Thangavelu. Vaiko is away in Chicago in the US, and is reportedly planning to return by July 11.

The MDMK has two Ministers in the National Democratic Alliance Government at the Centre: MoS Finance Gingee Ramachandran and MoS Non-Conventional Energy Sources M Kanappan. And though Vaiko had very vocally supported POTO as it was being debated in the Lok Sabha, the Centre wasn’t exactly rushing in to bail him out.

Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani said he had asked the Home Ministry for a report on the case, but added that it was a matter concerning the state government. Minister of State for Home I.D. Swami parroted Advani’s stand. ‘‘The state government doesn’t need the Centre’s guidance in the matter,’’ he said.

The two POTA provisions invoked against Vaiko are:

• Section 21 (2): A person commits an offence if he arranges, manages or assists in arranging or managing a meeting which he knows is (a) to support a terrorist organisation, (b) to further the activities of a terrorist organisation, (c)….

• Section 21 (3): A person commits an offence if he addresses a meeting for the purpose of encouraging support for a terrorist organisation or to further its activities.

Chandrababu Naidu and his ministers can be said to have fallen foul of Section 21 (2) for holding talks with representatives of the PWG. Anybody found guilty under either of these provisions is liable to be sentenced up to 10 years.

Just two days ago, Jayalalithaa had sent a demi-official letter to Advani, drawing his attention to ‘‘the audacious and outrageous statements’’ made by Vaiko in Tirumangalam. ‘‘Yesterday I supported the LTTE. Even today I am supporting the LTTE. Even tomorrow I will continue to support the LTTE. I am not afraid of POTA. I have faced even more draconian laws than POTA,’’ he was quoted as saying in Jayalalithaa’s letter to Advani.

Though the MDMK was an ally of the AIADMK in 1998 Lok Sabha elections which saw Jayalalithaa’s political resurrection, the two parties later fell out. It’s being speculated in Tamil Nadu that she is warning the NDA against taking her for granted.

DMK president and former Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi said he would not interfere with Vaiko’s possible arrest, but maintained that his party was against using POTA for ‘‘political’’ purposes. Karunanidhi referred to his own ignominous arrest by Jayalalithaa last year, saying Vaiko had never condemned it. ‘‘In fact, he ridiculed me’’.