Karunanidhi hits out at the LTTE
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

CHENNAI, MAY 15: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on Monday said theDMK had to distance itself from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelamcompletely after considering the question "How could an organisation whichkills the leader of its own race protect the race?"

Coming down heavily on the LTTE, he said: "We did not accept the LTTE afterEPRLF leader Padmanabha's assassination." Karunanidhi also mentioned theassassinations of Sree Sabarathinam (TELO) and Appapillai Amirthalingam(TULF) carried out by the LTTE.

"Our support to Tamil Eelam and the tears we shed for the Lankan Tamilscould not be construed as a support to all the activities of the LTTE,"Karunanidhi said while speaking during the debate on grants for the statepolice.

Karunanidhi pointed out that each Sri Lankan Tamil group which came to Indiaenjoyed the support of one political party or the other. MGR supported theLTTE, the DMK sided with the TELO and the EPRLF had the patronage of someother political parties, he said.

However, the Chief Minister recalled one incident to prove the nature of therelationship that existed between the DMK and the LTTE. He said the LTTErefused to receive a part of the money collected in connection with hisbirthday celebration since the LTTE thought that it had to face thedispleasure of one Tamil Nadu politician, apparently referring to MGR. "Sothe share allotted to the LTTE was also distributed to the other groups.This is the kind of relationship the DMK maintained with the LTTE," hesaid.

Karunanidhi read out AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalitha's interview insome newspapers four months after the killing of Padmanabha. Jayalalitha hadgiven a conduct certificate to the LTTE, saying that they have not indulgedin any activities after Padmanabha's killing. She even went to the extent ofsaying that "if LTTE is destroyed, Tamils will be destroyed", Karunanidhisaid.

In that interview, Jayalalitha wanted India to intervene in the Sri Lankanaffair on the lines of India's intervention in Bangladesh, Karunanidhi said.The Chief Minister said that even now, 51 persons have been arrested oncharges of smuggling materials to the LTTE. Four wireless sets wereseized.

As the Chief Minister continued the speech, P R Sundaram (AIADMK) tried toraise a point. Karunanidhi countered him and said "you first understand mylanguage. Supporting Tamil Eelam does not mean a support for the LTTE. Evenwhen J R Jayawardhane and Chandrika Kumaratunga did not get angry on theissue, why do you get so agitated?"

Karunanidhi denied charges that mike sets were offered to pro-LTTE activistsincluding P Nedumaran to conduct a meeting after their arrest in Chidambaramlast week. The State Government denied permission for the conference becausethey converted the conference to celebrate the capture of Elephant Pass bythe LTTE, though they had sought permission for a conference in support ofTamil Eelam.

About the conferences organised in Thiruvarur and Madurai in 1997, the ChiefMinister said the Madras High Court granted permission for them.

Mediation decision soon