Chennai: As the AIADMK tries to revive the memories of Mullivaikkal massacre of Sri Lankan Tamils in 2009, the DMK is refusing to be drawn itself into the debate in an obvious campaign strategy to keep the Lankan issue out of centrestage during this elections.
Chief Minister and AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa who took up the issue at her rally in Tiruchy alleged that the UPA government in which the DMK was a constituency started training the Lankan army in 2008 and provided arms and radars with the full knowledge of Karunanidhi, who was the then Chief Minister.
During the military offensive, no fire zones and hospitals were shelled and a genocide was carried out, she accused. She also cited an interview by Northern Provincial Council member Anandhi Sasidharan that LTTE members surrendered following an assurance by DMK chief Karunanidhi’s daughter Kanimozhi and those who surrendered were either killed or missing.
Karunanidhi, who used to give quick rebuttals have chosen to remain silent on the issue although he has started his election campaign on Saturday. Party treasurer M.K. Stalin too has not reacted, but he is not known to speak on major political issues and prefers to confine himself to bread and butter matters.
The DMK could be silent as it does not want the Lankan issue to occupy the centrestage in the Assembly poll campaign.
However, the AIADMK is continuing with its attacks on the DMK-Congress combine on the island Tamils issue and showing visuals of aerial bombardment in its party channel, along with interviews from LTTE supporters.
Thamizhar Desiya Munnani leader P. Nedumaran, a strong critic of DMK on the Eelam issue, said “Karunanidhi has blamed the Congress government for the massacre of Lankan Tamils and snapped ties. But, he has now joined hands with the same party. This only means that he was hand in glove with the Congress in the killing of island Tamils and he has no concern for their welfare”.
Another Tiger supporter P. Thiagu, who was interviewed, supported Jayalalithaa’s promise of dual citizenship for Lankan refugees in Tamil Nadu and that they should not be sent back to Lankan till normalcy is restored.
The AIADMK is expected to put more pressure on the DMK to react on its allegations on the issue as the campaign peaks. It remains to be seen if the DMK breaks its silence or skips the issue till the campaign gets over.
