TRC charges PMK with printing separatist document

TRC charges PMK with printing separatist document
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

CHENNAI, JULY 9: The Tamizhaga Rajiv Congress (TRC) today demanded the ouster of the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) from the NDA government at the centre and the arrest of its leaders under the National Security Act for allegedly bringing out a book questioning India's sovereignty and advocating creation of a `Tamil nation'.

TRC president and former union minister Vazhapadi K Ramamurthy alleged at a press conference here that the PMK, in a `covert meeting' at Hoganekkal in Dharmapuri district last month, had distributed a book outlining its views on `Tamil nationalism' and undermining the idea of an Indian nation.

Distributing copies of the relevant pages from the book, issued in the name of the PMK's 'ideology exposition wing', Ramamurthy demanded an explanation from PMK founder S Ramadoss for its `secessionist content'.

``If it was not authorised by the party, he should publicly apologise. If he subscribed to the view that there no such thing as India as a nation, and that it is only a Union of many nationalities, he should withdraw his ministers from the Union cabinet,'' the TRC leader said.

Ramamurthy said he would send a compilation of `proof' of the `anti-National activities' of the PMK and MDMK to Prime Minister A B Vajpayee for suitable action.

Ramamurthy said PMK ministers had no business to continue in the Union government, as its book defined the Indian government as `capitalist, brahminical and hegemonistic'. ``What are they doing in such a government?'' he wanted to know.

He read out portions of the book that demanded a `Tamil nation within the Indian Union' with the right of self-determination and the power to grant citizenship.

He said the book was not distributed among the public, but was given to PMK platform speakers for whose training the meeting was organised. The participants had to return the copies after using them during the two-day training, he said.

He demanded the arrest of PMK MP A K Moorthy for printing an invitation that seemed to insult the national flag. The invitation was for the party's `100th Assembly Constituency Conference', to be held on July 16, and portrayed the PMK party flag on fort St George, the state secretariat, on the pole on which the national flag flies.

Ramamurthy alleged that the PMK was continuing in the NDA only for the sake of power, as its heart was already set on leaving the alliance. Ramadoss had chosen not to criticise AIADMK general secretary Jayalalitha on any issue, and had at a press conference in Chennai yesterday declined to react to Jayalalitha's attack on the PMK for supporting the LTTE.

He said he was bringing the PMK's activities to the BJP's notice as the BJP had taken the stand that it would not ask any constituent to leave the NDA.