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Prabhakaran was not our enemy: PC

Virudhunagar(TN), July 18
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram has said slain LTTE leader V Prabhakaran would have been “Mudisooda Mannan” (uncrowned monarch) of the northern and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka had he accepted the 1987 Indo-Sri Lankan agreement as requested by former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Addressing a public meeting here last night, Chidambaram said he had met Prabhakaran. “He (Prabhakaran) was not our enemy. We were opposed to the path chosen by him." Virudhunagar is the home constituency of MDMK chief Vaiko, a known LTTE supporter. Vaiko was defeated by Congress nominee Manick Tagore by 15,000 votes in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.

Chidambaram said a country needs peace for development. “Violence and rioting will not develop a country." There had been heavy loss of lives and properties in Sri Lanka (during the war against the LTTE).

Claiming that peace had returned to the island nation, he said India had given Rs 3,600 crore for the benefit of the internally displaced Tamils. The government had also allocated Rs 1,000 crore for the construction of 50,000 houses in northern Sri Lanka. — PTI