NEWSLINKS US EDITION SOUTH ASIA COLUMNISTS DIARY SPECIALS INTERVIEWS CAPITAL BUZZ REDIFF POLL DEAR REDIFF THE STATES ELECTIONS ARCHIVES US ARCHIVES SEARCH REDIFF
Referring to the Tamil Nadu government's decision to bring charges under the Prevention of Terrorism Act against Marumalarchi Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam chief Vaiko for his pro-Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam speeches, Union Minister of State for Home I D Swami said on Thursday that "law and order is a State subject, and the Centre has nothing to do".
With that the Centre as a constitutional institution, and the Bharatiya Janata Party as the leader of the National Democratic Alliance in which the MDMK is a trusted ally, refused to be drawn into the issue.
Incidentally, Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani, with whom Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa had raised the issue through a well-publicised letter, did not comment on the issue. Instead, he left it to his deputy to make the Centre's position clear.
Defence Minister George Fernandes too refused to be drawn into the controversy. Fernandes -- believed to have spoken to Vaiko in the United States -- said it was a "legal matter".
In Chennai, Director General of Police B P Nailwal did not rule out the possibility of Vaiko being arrested on his return from the US. "We have filed a petition and taken up investigations," he said.
ALSO SEE Jayalalithaa threatens Vaiko with POTA POTA threat political vendetta: Vaiko Karunanidhi's Arrest: The Complete Coverage
Back to top
Tell us what you think of this report
