Wednesday, Mar 12, 2003
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Tamil Nadu
By Our Tamil Nadu Bureau
The BJP has not been invited for the all-party meeting, the State party spokesman, V.Kumaravelu said. ``Had we been invited, we would have participated, and presented our views''. Mr.Karunanidhi earlier said he would invite the BJP as its leaders too had signed a memorandum condemning the`` misuse'' of the Prevention of Terrorism Act by the AIADMK Government. Almost the entire Opposition had signed the MDMK memorandum, had come together to protest the arrest of the DMK MLA, Parithi Ilamvazhuthi, and extended tacit support to the Congress in the Sattankulam byelection. But the effort to extend this solidarity to protest the continued detention of Mr.Vaiko, did not succeed as some of parties pointed out that the POTA was enacted by the National Democratic Alliance, in which the MDMK and the DMK are partners.
'State-level protest won't do'
The State Congress president, S.Balakrishnan, explaining his party's inability to take part in tomorrow's meeting, said the DMK, instead of organising a State-level protest, should step up pressure on the coalition at the Centre to repeal the anti-terrorism law. "What is the use of holding a State-level protest against the misuse of the POTA, when the DMK, which is part of the NDA Government, cannot impress upon its ally, BJP, to withdraw the law?" Mr. Balakrishnan said, when contacted. Sources in the Congress say the DMK made hectic efforts to ensure the party presence at the meeting. However, as the TNCC chief and the working president, E.V.K.S. Elangovan, had come under fire within their party for signing the MDMK memorandum they expressed their reservations about attending the meeting. At this, the DMK leaders were stated to have insisted that the focus was not only the detention of Mr.Vaiko but also the larger question of misuse of the POTA. But, with the CPI (M) deciding to keep off the meeting, the State Congress leadership decided to follow suit, preferring not to face flak from the partymen.
'Contradictory stance'
The CPI (M) State secretary, N.Varadarajan, in a letter to Mr. Karunanidhi, said his party had opposed the enactment of POTA from its early stages. But the DMK supported the enactment and continued to do so in Parliament. Opposing the POTA here, while supporting the law at the Centre exposed the DMK's contradictory stance. The party wanted Act withdrawn as it was already misused in Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkand.
DPI doubts
In Pondicherry, the DPI general secretary, R.Tirumavalavan, also announced that his party would boycott the meeting. He said that genuine doubts cropped up whether the DMK, the MDMK and the Pattali Makkal Katchi would be able to come out with a resolution or stand to oppose the POTA. For, these parties still continued to be NDA partners. The DPI, for its part, was already mobilising all democratic and non-political units to oppose the Act and an anti-POTA front had in fact been formed.
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