Chennai: It may have been relegated to the back burner. But the war in Sri Lanka is back on centre stage in Tamil Nadu. The MDMK's Vaiko on Wednesday warned of a bloodbath in the state if LTTE Chief Prabhakaran is harmed.
"Prabhakaran lives in the hearts of Tamils. Tamils all over the world do not want even a small harm happening to him. If anything happens to him there will be bloodbath in Tamil Nadu," he said.
But unlike earlier occasions, the DMK is unlikely to take action against him. Because that may make Vaiko a martyr just before elections.
The fiery MDMK chief is yet to seal his seat sharing deal with Amma. But he`s virtually launched his election campaign. And his anthem is not restricted to the 3 lakh Tamil civilians trapped in the war zone. Vaiko is demanding protection for LTTE Chief Prabhakaran, believed to be hiding among civilians in a "No Fire Zone."
And also comes a tactical move by Jayalalithaa. In a statement, the AIADMK chief said the onus of forcing the Centre to bring about an immediate ceasefire in Sri Lanka was on the DMK.
With another pro-LTTE party -- the PMK -- now on her side, the AIADMK, despite its anti-LTTE stance, is out to exploit the DMK`s helplessness on the Lankan issue. Jayalalithaa maintains a clear distinction between support for the LTTE and sympathy for the Tamil civilians.
Just a few months ago DMK MPs staged a resignation drama demanding Centre's intervention for a ceasefire. Now the DMK chief is asking for devolution of power to Lankan Tamils.
Not wanting to be isolated on the issue, the DMK has called for a rally in Chennai on Thursday to "save the Tamil race".