The stage was set for trial today in the POTA case against MDMK general secretary and eight other partymen with the framing of charges by the POTA court in Poonamallee.Judge Rajendran posted the case for August 21, for the examination of witness. Vaiko says no to Lanka bridge Chennai: MDMK general secretary Vaiko on Friday objected to the move to construct a bridge between India and Sri Lanka. He said the bridge would jeopardise his pet Sethu Samuthiram project. ‘The proposed bridge (between Rameswaram and Thalimannar) would obstruct the movement of big ships in the Palk Straits and defeat the 130-yr-long wait for the project,’’ Vaiko told mediapersons at the POTA court. —ENS BJP asks its MLAs not to eulogise Jaya Chennai: The BJP has issued a fiat to its MLAs not to eulogise Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa in the Assembly, party national secretary L. Ganesan said on Thursday. At a press conference here, Ganesan said the MLAs have been instructed not to call Jayalalithaa ‘‘Sakalakalavalli’’ or ‘‘Tamil thai’’. He was reacting to a query on the BJP MLAs’ speeches in the Assembly. Ganesan said the party MLAs have been asked to address Jayalalithaa as ‘‘Manbumigu Muthalamaichar’’ (respectful CM) only, as per Assembly traditions. Welcoming the Supreme Court observations on the Common Civil Code, the BJP leader called for support from all political parties for enacting a uniform civil law. —ENS Vaiko, Madurai district student wing organiser Ganesan, party propaganda wing vice-president Alagu Sundaram and Erode district MDMK secretary Ganesamoorthy have been charged under Section 21(3) of POTA for addressing the public meeting held at Thirumangalam on June 26 last year, in support of LTTE, which is declared as a terrorist organisation under Section 18 of the Act.According to Section 21(3), a person commits an offence if he addresses a meeting held for the purpose of encouraging support for a terrorist organisation or to further its activities. The other five accused, Madurai district secretary Veera Ilavarasan, Madurai city secretary Boominathan, former MLA P.S. Maniam, Sivaganga district secretary Pulavar Sevanthiappan and Madurai literary wing secretary Nagarajan, were charged under Section 21(2) of POTA.The eight MDMK leaders were arrested on July 9, 2002.
