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| Sunday, 4 August 2002 |
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Nadumaran held : Jaffna protests over Tamil Nadu arrests by S. Selvakumar The detention of yet another pro-LTTE political figure in Tamil Nadu has provoked a massive protest demonstration at Pt. Pedro. Well-known Tamil nationalist leader P. Nedumaran who heads the Tamil National Movement, was detained by Tamil Nadu police on Friday reportedly for pro-LTTE statements made at the International Tamil Conference that recently concluded in Chennai. He joins pro-LTTE radical Y. Gopalaswamy in detention under the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA). Nedumaran was produced before a magistrate and remanded till August 28. Earlier on July 11, Y. Gopalaswamy, a Member of Parliament who was also a member of the ruling coalition was arrested on his return from the United States on a similar offence under the POTA. Party leaders of the Tamil National Alliance consisting of TULF, PLOTE, ACTC, EPRLF (Suresh wing) and TELO vehemently condemned the arrest. The TNA said when the government of Sri lanka is getting ready to hold talks with the LTTE and at a time when both the government and the LTTE are observing a ceasefire, the arrests in Chennai were "utterly irresponsible". New Delhi recently enacted the POTA amidst protests by the Opposition parties. At the time of enactment the government promised that it will not misuse the Act. Citing this promise, Opposition parties in Tamil Nadu said that the Chief Minister is misusing this Act to arrest Tamil leaders. After the arrest of Nedumaran, Jayalalitha has despatched an urgent letter to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to sack Energy Minister Kannappan from the Cabinet. In her letter, she has cited the same reason to sack the minister. |
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