M A I N   N E W S

No Eelam, says Advani

ERODE (TN), July 2 (PTI) — Union Home Minister L.K. Advani today rejected the demand for a separate state for Sri Lankan Tamils to solve the ethnic problem in the island nation but asserted that India was concerned about Tamils in that country whenever their interests were in jeopardy.

Addressing a conference organised here by the MDMK, a constituent of the Vajpayee government, he said nobody in the country should do anything to promote secessionism in a ‘friendly neighbour’ and peace should prevail in Sri Lanka.

Mr Advani said the Centre was, however, keen that Sri Lankan Tamils got justice in their country. The Government of India was concerned not only about Tamils in Sri Lanka but also for all people of Indian origin across the world “whenever their interests are in jeopardy,” he said.

Mr Advani, who was replying to MDMK leader L. Ganesan’s request for help to the Tamils in Sri Lanka, said whenever the people of Indian origin were adversely affected, the country would exert diplomatic pressure.

On the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, he said the Centre had decided “not to go in IPKF way’ and all constituents of the NDA had “unreservedly’ extended support to the Centre’s stand on the issue.

Mr Advani said the Opposition, which was keen on exploiting the differences of perception among NDA constituents on the Sri Lankan issue to topple the Vajpayee government, was ‘totally disappointed’ following consensus among the partners on the issue.

Dwelling at length on his recent visit abroad, Mr Advani said the visit was fruitful as he had been able to understand how Israel, Britain and France handled the problems of infiltration, insurgency and cross border terrorism.

He said Pakistan, defeated by India in three wars, had resorted to infiltration, was inciting religious fundamentalism and creating security problems in the country.

He said the Congress and CPM, which were bent upon toppling the Vajpayee Government, had hoped that the differences on the Sri Lankan issue could be utilised for the purpose as the government sustained on the support of parties from Tamil Nadu. But they were disappointed.

Meanwhile, over 750 Congress volunteers, including TNCC President E.V.K.S. Elangovan, were arrested today when they assembled here to stage a black flag demonstration against Union Home Minister L.K. Advani’s participation in the MDMK conference.

The police said the TNCC workers were arrested when they assembled to take out a procession to stage the protest.