'Chief Minister Karunanidhi behind LTTE’s Sea Tiger in Tamil Nadu'

by: Our Correspondent in Chennai

(December, 12, Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka Guardian) In what could be described as a very serious allegation against the State government, AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa on Wednesday charged Chief Minister M Karunanidhi with 'open support to the banned LTTE' and slammed the police department under him for total inertia.

The AIADMK leader also wondered why the Centre was 'tolerant' and demanded it to take note and initiate stern action.

In a statement in Chennai, Jayalalithaa said the whole country was shell shocked by the 'confession' of the recently held LTTE operatives in Chennai. She claimed that they had confessed to operating tacitly in the State.

'When I said that LTTE had close links with local politicians here, I was only blamed,' she said and stressed that the arrests and their alleged confession as vindication of her stance that law and order situation in the State had gone to the dogs.

She also said that the confession of those apprehended led to the arrest of one more person who had revealed that 'he received shelter from a policeman' in Thanjavur.

The AIADMK leader also claimed that the Centre's intelligence unit cautioned the State government that Thirumavalavan-led Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leader Vanniyarasu was smuggling boats and its accessories for the LTTE.

She also alleged that the arrested LTTE men had confessed that Vanniyarasu had helped them in smuggling computer spare parts. Going a step ahead, the leader of the opposition claimed that the arrested former Sea Tiger Jayakumar alias Gowri Shankar had confessed to having had contacts with VCK spokesperson Vanniyarasu.

Recalling the arrest and subsequent release of Vanniyarasu on bail she said this only 'led to the interpretation that Karunanidhi was extending open support' to the proscribed organisation.

'When I was in power, law and order situation was in control and extremist elements were crushed. But now a person of the police department had given shelter to an LTTE man. The 'braveness' of the police man is testimony to the state of affairs of the State,' Jayalalithaa alleged.

Hitting hard at the police department which comes under the Home portfolio held by Karunanidhi, she wondered whether there existed an intelligence unit in the State police.

Claiming that thousands of LTTE men had infiltrated into the southern districts, Jayalalithaa brought the Chief Minister into the centre of her bag of allegations by saying that 'all this could have happened only with the counsel or blessings of Karunanidhi.'

She also charged that whenever the DMK assumed power anti-social elements had a field day besides organisations like the LTTE. The AIADMK leader urged the Centre to immediately take action.