"Centre, TN failed to protect Lankan Tamils"

Chennai, Aug 14 (UNI) MDMK General Secretary Vaiko today charged the UPA government at the Centre and the DMK government in Tamil Nadu with ''failure'' to protect Sri Lankan Tamils, and alleged the Centre was supplying arms to the country.

Talking to reporters here after appearing in a defamation case against him, Mr Vaiko said, ''Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has not replied to any of the letters I have sent him till date which highlighted the plight of the Tamils,'' and termed the arms supply ''unpardonable''.

He also alleged that the arms might be used to commit ''genocidal attacks on Tamils''.

On the state police's claims that the banned Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was behind the recent attacks on Tamil fishermen, Mr Vaiko, staunch supporter of the LTTE, said intelligence agencies were ''working behind the scenes to put the blame on the outfit.'' The Indian Navy and the Centre were doing nothing to protect the fishermen, he alleged, charging the state government with 'betrayal' and 'treachery' in this regard.

On the state's proposal to start its own Cable TV network, he said personal scores were being settled in Mr Karunanidhi's family.

''The Previous AIADMK government first brought in a bill in this regard but the move was stalled by the same DMK after they met the Tamil Nadu Governor,'' he alleged.

UNI