Cong, AIADMK welcome extension of ban on LTTE

The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) and the AIADMK on Wednesday welcomed the five-year extension of the ban on the dreaded Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) by the Centre. TNCC president K S Alagiri told PTI here that he was welcoming the ban extension as the LTTE had lost the confidence and trust of Tamils in Tamil Nadu and the world over due to its terrorist activities and Nazi style of functioning. It was the right decision, he said.

Former Union minister and AIADMK Rajya Sabha member S R Balasubramaniam lauded the Centre's decision and said the LTTE's presence in India was a matter of concern and dangerous, particularly for the Tamils here. The LTTE was very much present in India and at any time, its cadres might regroup, and hence, the ban extension was "correct and I welcome it", he said.

Balasubramaniam, who is the deputy leader of the AIADMK parliamentary group, said though the LTTE, which was not wiped out completely, might not be a matter of concern to Sri Lanka anymore, but it was very much a cause of worry for India. On November 6, a tribunal of the Delhi High Court, headed by Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal, confirmed the five-year extension of the ban on the LTTE, announced by the Union home ministry on May 14. The notification was issued on Wednesday.

The tribunal, in its order, said one of the aims and objectives of the LTTE was to protect and preserve the geographical identity and integrity of the traditional homelands of Tamils and Muslims. Tamil Nadu was traditionally considered as the homeland of Tamils and therefore, the ultimate objective of the LTTE was to integrate the traditional Tamil areas of India with the Tamil-speaking areas of Sri Lanka and such an act constituted an "unlawful activity" within the meaning of section 2(o) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), being intended to bring about cession of a part of the territory of India, it said.

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