Chennai: Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) chief Vaiko today (Oct 4, 2004) said the Centre's action of disbanding the consultative groups of the Planning Commission was an "irresponsible act" and a "knee-jerk reaction".

MDMK is a constituent of the ruling UPA (United Progressive Alliance) at the Centre.

Vaiko told a press conference in Chennai that the Left parties had rightly opposed the inclusion of "foreign experts" in the consultative committees of the commission, but the Centre "irked over the protest" had "hastily" abolished all the committees.

The protest by Left parties was justified as the "foreign experts" always "dictated terms" in line with the demand of the international financial agencies, he said.

On the ordinance to repeal POTA (Prevention of Terrorism Act), Vaiko, who was imprisoned under the anti-terror law, said it should be given retrospective effect, if it has to benefit those, who were arrested under the act.

He would raise the issue with all UPA constituents when a bill seeking to replace the ordinance was brought before Parliament, he said.

Asked whether he would approach the POTA review committee to get the case against him and eight others reviewed, he replied in the negative adding that he had already approached the Supreme Court on the issue and was hopeful of a "favourable" verdict.

Vaiko ruled out his party's participation in the Manmohan Singh ministry though most of the party's demands like implementation of the Sethusamdudram project and declaring Tamil a 'classical language', had been conceded by the UPA Government.

He expressed reservation on the amendments made to the Unlawful activities (Prevention) Act, which, he said, had "incorporated" several provisions of the repealed POTA.

"There is no need for the amendments," he said.

On his support to the outlawed LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam), he said he was for a peaceful settlement to the Sri Lankan Tamils issue. Even the world community had acknowledged that the LTTE was the authorised representative of the Sri Lankan Tamils, he said.

He had only supported LTTE's initiative to solve the Sri Lankan Tamil's problems, but never supported its violent acts on Indian soil, he said.

He said former Prime Minister V P Singh would inaugurate the regional conference of the party's farmers wing at Palladam in Coimbatore district on October 9, which would be attended by over 10,000 farmers. The party would organise such conferences in Dindigul and Villupuram soon.

The party proposed to raise a "youth brigade" with one lakh volunteers, dedicated to social service, he said.

He would start a statewide tour from October 17 to review the party's organisational growth. This would continue till January next after which he would visit each and every village in the State, he said.