Chennai: Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president M Karunanidhi on April 19 demanded the repeal of Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) to save "civic liberties" and to prevent state governments from using this "vengeful weapon" against politicians and journalists.

In a statement, he said though it was a fact that acts of terrorism were on the increase, a Law to contain them always resulted in repercussions, which went contrary to the basic aims of such Legislations.

POTA was another such Legislation which was "being misused in Tamil Nadu by the Jayalalithaa government against political opponents and journalists". This should be vehemently condemned, he said.

DMK never supported terrorism in any form and had not given any room for such activities when it was in power, he said.

On Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's recent statement that activities of terrorist outfits were not taken note of during DMK rule, he said it was only during DMK rule that a lot of activists belonging to the Tamil Nadu Retrieval Troops and Tamil National Liberation Army were arrested. In fact, it was DMK government which sought a ban on these organisations.

The Centre had sought some clarifications on the demand, but when the ban on these outfits was imposed by the Centre, there was a change of government in Tamil Nadu, he said.

PTI