MDMK's Vaiko Sentenced To 1 Year In Jail For 2009 Pro-LTTE Speech

MDMK General Secretary and Rajya Sabha candidate Vaiko was on Thursday sentenced to one year in jail and a fine of Rs 10,000 by a court in Chennai in a sedition case dating to 2009.

The court also stayed the execution of the sentence for a month on his application.

Vaiko's speech during the launch of the book "Naan Kutram Sattugiren" (I am Making the Accusation) in Chennai in 2009 was considered as seditious and a case was filed against him.

After the conviction, Vaiko said, "Judge said the accused sought for a lenient punishment but I have never asked for a lenient punishment and I said the same to the judge. I wanted as many as jail terms. Yes, I will plant seeds in the youth mind."

"Yes I spoke the same. I spoke my mind in a book released by Nedumaran. I spoke because Indian unity should not be split. It's not against the country. I spoke about Tamil Eelam tigers in Parliament too," he added.

A case under Sections 124-A and 153 were filed against the MDMK leader in 2009 by Tamil Nadu Police for his speech in which he had warned that India would not remain a united single country if the war against banned outfit Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Sri Lanka was not stopped.

Vaiko has been a self-confessed supporter of LTTE chief Prabakaran and his idea of a separate homeland for Tamils and the Tamil Eelam.

Prabakaran founded a militant group called Tamil New Tigers in 1972 and the LTTE in 1976 and waged a prolonged war against the Sri Lankan Army in the backdrop of the ethnic strife, involving majority Sinhalas and minority Tamils.

The LTTE, accused of assassinating former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, has been outlawed in India since 1992.

(With inputs from ANI)