NEWSLINKS US EDITION SOUTH ASIA COLUMNISTS DIARY SPECIALS INTERVIEWS CAPITAL BUZZ REDIFF POLL DEAR REDIFF THE STATES ELECTIONS ARCHIVES US ARCHIVES SEARCH REDIFF
N Sathiya Moorthy in Chennai
In the footsteps of the neighbouring Tamil Nadu government, the Union Territory administration in Pondicherry has warned of stringent action against pro-Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam elements.
Talking to newsmen in Pondicherry, Education Minister Lakshminarayanan expressed the administration's anxiety about the possibility of pro-LTTE elements sneaking into the Union Territory, pressured by the combing operations in Tamil Nadu.
The warning comes in the wake of the Centre's ban on two pro-LTTE, pan-Tamil militant groups, Tamil National Liberation Army and the Tamil Nationalist Retrieval Troops.
Both groups have a strong presence in Tamil Nadu areas adjoining Pondicherry.
TNLA leader Maran is also suspected to be involved in helping forest brigand Veerappan abduct Kannada matinee icon Rajakumar.
The administration's warning also coincides with the Tamil Nadu government filing a case against Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhgam leader Vaiko under Prevention of Terrorism Act, for his pro-LTTE speech recently.
With a Congress-Tamil Maanila Congress coalition in power in Pondicherry, the administration of Chief Minister N Rengaswamy is under political pressure to act tougher against the LTTE.
The Pondicherry assembly had earlier passed a resolution demanding Sri Lanka to extradite LTTE chief Prabhakaran for standing trial in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.
Meanwhile, two activists of TNLA and TNRT were arrested in Perambalur, Tamil Nadu, taking the total number of activists of the two outfits under custody to 14.
According to Pannerselvam, Superintendent of Police of Perambalur district, bombs, gelatine sticks and detonators were recovered from their possession.
Back to top
Tell us what you think of this report
