Karunanidhi in damage control mode; releases rebuttal

As part of attempts to contain the damage from his interview to NDTV, where he defended LTTE chief Prabhakaran, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi released a detailed rebuttal, where he claimed he was misinterpreted, and quoted out of context.

The rebuttal is in the form of question and answer:

Question: Did you say in an interview that Prabhakaran is your friend?

Karunanidhi: The news telecast by the NDTV does not cover my full interview. 

Question: Did you say in the same interview that you would regret if Prabhakaran is killed in the ongoing war in Sri Lanka?

Karunanidhi: I will regret whoever is killed. That is Humanitarianism. I will greet you also wishing you a long life.

Question: Did you say in the interview, which was telecast by the NDTV that Prabhakaran is not a terrorist?

Karunanidhi: I have said that he started the movement as a freedom fighter; but many of them have turned into terrorists.

Question: It is said that you have forgotten Sriperum-pudur?

Karunanidhi: No one has forgotten Sriperum-pudur. It is the place where Rajiv Gandhi was brutally killed. No one can forget the sad incident. 

Question: Will you go on demanding ceasefire in Sri Lanka?

Karunanidhi: Till the hostilities come to a complete stop, we will go on demanding ceasefire.