MDMK general secretary Vaiko has denied that he stood in the way of a ceasefire between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan forces, as claimed by former LTTE leader Kumaran Pathmanathan.
Accusing KP of betraying the cause of Tamil Eelam, Mr. Vaiko said KP had joined the long list of those who had acted against the cause.
Mr. Vaiko described KP’s charge that he stood in the way of a ceasefire as a “blatant lie” and added that no one would have been happier over such a development than he and Tamil Nationalist Movement leader P. Nedumaran. He revealed that he and Mr. Nedumaran had desperately wanted a ceasefire “somehow.”
The MDMK leader said that he had never advised slain LTTE leader Prabakaran on the course to be adopted in Sri Lanka at any point during the war or before. Prabakaran took appropriate decisions on issues at appropriate times, he added.
Mr. Vaiko said that there were obvious discrepancies in KP’s account. He recalled that Prabakaran had never agreed to lay down arms. Would such a leader be willing to surrender arms and give up Tamil Eelam even in his dreams, Mr. Vaiko asked. Even Prabakaran’s detractors would agree that under no circumstances would Prabakaran give up on Eelam or lay down arms. Hence, where was the question of his advising Prabakaran not to accept a ceasefire, he wanted to know.
When many world powers were asking for a cessation of hostilities on the part of Sri Lanka, only India made no demand for a ceasefire, he said.
“I have been telling for the past five years that it was the Indian government that was arming, planning, and conducting the war for the Sri Lankan government against the LTTE. The Congress-led government at Delhi had also extended a Rs.1000 crore interest-free loan for this purpose,” he alleged, adding that even Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had agreed that India was helping Sri Lankan militarily.
The Indian government was guilty of abetting killing of Tamils in Sri Lanka, he said. He accused Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi of endorsing the Centre’s line on this issue. Revealing that LTTE’s Nadesan had spoken to him in 2009 April, he said at that time Nadesan had asked him if he had concluded seat-sharing arrangements in his alliance. He informed him that there were some problems and hence he was considering the option of not contesting the elections. But Nadesan encouraged him to contest the elections and told him that even if one MDMK MP won and entered Parliament, he will be equal to 500 MPs.
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