Sunday, May 22 2005 18:02 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa today (May 22, 2005) disclosed that the Union Home Ministry has informed her of a threat from the banned LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam), against which she had taken an "uncompromising and unflinching stand".

".... as recently as May 19," Union Home Ministry had communicated about a specific threat to her from the LTTE through a woman suicide bomber, she said in a five-page statement Chennai.

She, however, objected to a reference made to LTTE's "activities" in Tamil Nadu in the Home Ministry report of 2004-05 and accused a section of media of "blowing it up".

Jayalalithaa also asked the Centre to rein those behind the 'kite-flying stories'.

Asserting that the "uncompromising and unflinching stand" of her Government had brought down LTTE activities in the State to "a historic low", she said due to her effort LTTE continued to particularly target her "putting me to the highest personal risk".

Jayalalithaa said that in a letter to Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil today she had pointed out that ''I see no reason in the first place for this item (reference to LTTE) to be suddenly included in the report...''

Since this was the threat perception assessed by the Home Ministry "I find it most distressing that an impression is sought to be created that the activities of the LTTE is being facilitated from Tamil Nadu."

Jayalalithaa said certain sections of the media have quoted the Home Ministry's report and have reported that the LTTE continued to use the State as a base for carrying out smuggling of essential items like petrol, diesel and drugs to Sri Lanka.

She said she was chagrined by the "overt political manoeuvres" on the sensitive national security subject and suggested to Patil that he have this examined and if there were certain elements putting out this baseless, untenable and unwarranted line, they may be reined."

Describing as "totally baseless, malicious, politically motivated and unwarranted" the media projection of the report and subsequent "vicious statements" made by Janata Party president Dr Subramanian Swamy seeking action, she said she had pointed out to Patil that it appeared a "concerted move to denigrate" her Government had been "initiated" despite its firm stand against the LTTE.

Listing out various measures taken during her previous regime between 1991-96 and from 2001 when she came back to power against the LTTE, she alleged it was the "tacit support" extended to the LTTE by the DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) during 1989-91 that led to killing of EPRLF leader Padmanabha in the city and later the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Jayalalithaa said she had strongly objected to the repealing of POTA and dismissed Swamy's comments by saying he (Swamy) was "well known for his verbal acrobatic flip-flops and his flummery and it is indeed bothersome to even try to understand what exactly is his current stand. He has changed his stance so many times that it is beyond comprehension as to what he really stand for."