AIADMK to support MDMK demo on Lankan Tamils issue

Chennai, Oct 3 (UNI) After denying support to the fast organised by the Communist Party of India (CPI) on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, the AIADMK today pledged support to the protest demonstration, being oragnised by its ally, the Marumalarchi DMK (MDMK) for the same cause.

The MDMK is to organise a demonstration in front of the Sri Lankan Deputy High Commission office here on October 10, to protest against the Centre, for offering military assistance to Sri Lanka, which was ultimately used to wipe out the Tamils.

MDMK General Secretary Vaiko, who is to lead the agitation, wrote to the AIADMK Supremo J Jayalalithaa, seeking the party's support for the agitation.

In a letter to Mr Vaiko, the AIADMK leader agreed to offer support and informed him that on behalf of AIADMK, its organising secretary and former Minister S Muthusamy would address the agitators, a release from MDMK headquarters here said.

Ms Jayalalithaa sprang a surprise yesterday, when she withdrew support to the one-day fast organised by the Tamil Nadu unit of CPI, after writing to CPI state secretary D Pandian that the party would depute Mr Muthusamy to address the fasting agitators.

Mr Pandian had said he was not aware of the reason for the change of mind of AIADMK. He had no regret as the AIADMK was free to take its decision.

When asked about AIADMK's decision, DMK senior Minister Arcot N Veerasamy said this may be because the AIADMK did not want to get embarassed in the fasting venue.

Having passed a resolution in the Assembly during her regime that LTTE leader V Prabakaran should be caught and handed over to India to face trial in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, Ms Jayalalithaa feared that the party might be targeted for this in the fast, he said.

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