SALEM: Periyar Dravida Kazhagam (PDK) state president Kolathur Mani, who was released from prison on Tuesday, said that the attack on the Indian Army’s vehicle in Coimbatore was symbolic and not a full-fledged outrageous act.
Mani told reporters after his release that the act should be seen as Tamil people’s way of expressing dislike for the Centre supplying military aid to the Sri Lankan government who are on an unbridled genocidal war on Tamils. “One has to see the spirit behind the act and not the act itself,” said Mani.
“We do have doubts that the vehicle was carrying military aid to Sri Lanka because earlier aid to Sri Lanka had went through Kerala ports. Also, the driver of the vehicle made contradictory statements. While initially the driver said that the vehicle was headed for Tiruvananthapuram, later said it was proceeding to Madukarai,” said Mani.
The government has been on a witch-hunt for PDK members, he said, pointing to the search and arrests of the party members in the State. Even those distributing handbills on the Lankan issue are being arrested, he added. “If what we do is anti-national then does it mean that when Chief Minister went on a fast for the Lankan issue he also indulged in an anti-national act,” he asked.
“The AIADMK chief is a lesser evil to us as she has at least, for electoral gains or otherwise, spoken about a Tamil Eelam in the island nation,” he said.