In the backdrop of the arrest of a suspected IS operative from West Bengal, who has been residing at Tirupur for six years, Tamil Maanila Congress founder G.K. Vasan on Friday urged the Central and State intelligence agencies to be keep a vigil on activities of such outfits and crackdown on those working for terror groups.
Addressing journalists before chairing his party’s Coimbatore zone meet, Mr Vasan alleged that crimes were on the rise in the last three months in Tamil Nadu due to which the public lived in fear. “While the police deserve praise for cracking some cases, they should step up vigil and detect all the cases and secure the highest punishment for the culprits to deter others and gain the confidence of the people,” he said.
He condemned Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe’s recent remarks that they will release Tamil fishermen but not their confiscated boats. Frequent arrest of fishermen by the Sri Lankan navy has put fishermen under fear. “The government at the centre is lethargic over the issue. The External Affairs Ministry should deal with it strongly,” he added.
On the Prime Minister’s series of visits abroad, Mr. Vasan said that such visits are good to strengthen the country’s bilateral relationship, “but spending most of the time abroad and very less time in India is not good for the nation.”
On strengthening the party, which was routed in the recent Assembly elections, he said that the 32 districts have been divided into 12 zones and the seventh zonal meeting was being held at Coimbatore, for The Nilgiris, Coimbatore and Tirupur districts. The process of strengthening the party for the local body and parliamentary polls is on.
“The recent defeat in elections has not discouraged us. It is the stepping stone for TMC’s success,” he said adding that the party will field strong candidates for the local body polls and would decide on forging alliances closer to the polls.