Cong urges govt to curb LTTE activities in TN

Chennai, Mar 26: The Congress today urged the Tamil Nadu Government to completely curb the activities of outlawed LTTE and its supporters in the state.

Participating in a debate on the state budget for 2007-08 in the Assembly, Mr C Gnanasekaran (Cong) said certain people had openly held rally in support of the LTTE, which was banned following the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991.

Posters praising some leaders as 'Tamil Nadu's Prabhakaran' were also being displayed, he added.

Referring to the recent seizure of explosives and suicide bomb belts by the Indian Coast Guard and the arrest of eight people including LTTE men, he said the Government should curb the pro-LTTE organisations first before wiping out the LTTE movement.

He said the Congress had no second opinion that the living rights of Sri Lankan Tamils should be restored in the island nation. It was only for that sake, Mr Gandhi sent the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) to Sri Lanka, he added.

Mr Gnanasekaran urged Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, who was holding the Home portfolio, to fine-tune the intelligence wing and step up vigil in the state.

UNI