Vaiko not aggrieved person to challenge ban on LTTE: MHA

Chennai, Jan 27 (PTI) The Union Home Ministry todaytold the Madras High Court that MDMK general secretary Vaikois not an aggrieved person to challenge a tribunal''s orderconfirming a central government''s notification extending banon the LTTE.

In its counter to his petition, the Centre said Vaikohad no locus standi to appear before the tribunal or to seekintervention. Unless the petitioner proved with supportingevidence to demonstrate that he was an aggrieved person, hiswrit petition was not maintainable, it was contended.

The Centre objected to the petitioner''s claim that theLTTE''s objective was not for establishing an independentsovereign state for all Tamils living in the entire world butonly for Tamils in Sri Lanka and therefore there was no threatto India''s sovereignty.

"Vaiko is neither an office-bearer nor an LTTE member.

He is not the organisation''s spokesman," the Centre said inits affidavit.

It was submitted in the affidavit that the LTTE''sobjectives spoke of all Tamils irrespective of thegeographical distinction.

An inference was irresistible that when immediatestruggle of the organisation was against the Sri Lankangovernment for establishing Tamil Eelam in the north and eastof the island, its ultimate objective was to form a largerTamil country, including areas of India where Tamils lived,the Centre said.

In a separate counter to a petition by ''Prisoners''Rights Forum,'' a forum fighting for the rights of LankanTamils, the Centre said the petitioner was not the aggrievedperson within ambit of the Act and the Madras High Court didnot have territorial jurisdiction to entertain the presentpetition.

Vaiko and Prisoners Rights Forum had challenged theUnlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal, headed by JusticeVikramjit Sen, which had passed an order last November lastconfirming Central government''s notification, banning LTTE.

LTTE was first declared an unlawful association by anotification on May 24, 1992 and thereafter the ban has beenextended periodically by subsequent notifications. All thedeclarations were confirmed by the Tribunal, constituted underthe Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

When the matter came up before the first bench,comprising Chief Justice M Y Eqbal and Justice T S Sivagnanam,the Additional Solicitor-General of India, M Ravindran filedthe counter on behalf of Virendra Kumar, Under Secretary inthe Union Home Ministry.

Vaiko, who is party in person, was present in thecourt. The Bench adjourned the case to February 10 for furtherhearing.