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Syed Firdaus Ashraf in Mumbai
A confident Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief Vaiko on Thursday said that he is not afraid of 'being arrested'.
Before embarking for Chennai from Mumbai, where he had landed from Chicago, Vaiko told rediff.com: "I love my motherland and I am not scared of getting arrested."
An arrest warrant has been issued by a magistrate in Tamil Nadu under the Prevention of Terrorism Act for his pro-Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam speech on June 29.
Dressed in spotless white shirt, traditional veshti and black angavasthram, Vaiko said that he has not done anything wrong by supporting the Tamil cause.
"Let the people of India know that how Jayalalithaa is unleashing terror in Tamil Nadu," Vaiko said.
"They have cordoned off all the roads near Chennai airport. And, I am feeling sad that even my family members have not been allowed to enter the airport," Vaiko said.
Asked whether he regretted supporting POTA in the Parliament as he was going to be arrested under the same act, he said, "We supported POTA because it was meant for the Pakistani agents involved in anti-India activities."
He also clarified that he had not spoken to either Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee or Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani about his imminent arrest under POTA.
"Why should I tell them? This is a state matter and Centre should not intervene," he said.
On what he has told his supporters, Vaiko said, "I have told them to keep calm. But this terror government of Jayalalithaa has arrested thousands of my supporters for no reason. I want to expose this government's terror rule."
When further pushed that did he not feel bad that his ministers were in government and they too could not do anything to prevent imposition of charges against him, Vaiko said, "We are giving NDA government support on issues. And, I am not afraid to go to jail as I have been to jail earlier in my life also."
Asked if he was consulting a lawyer, Vaiko said, "I am myself a lawyer and I know what is law. And, therefore I can handle my own case."
When asked if he will come back to Mumbai soon Vaiko smiled and confidently said, "I will see you all soon."
Photograph: Jewella C Miranda
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