Chennai : Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) General Secretary Vaiko on Friday was sentenced to one-year jail term by a special Chennai Court in a case of seditious speech filed against him in 2009. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 for his speech.
Speaking to ANI after being convicted, Vaiko said, "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." "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," 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. ANI
