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This is an archive article published on May 2, 2009

TN filmmakers script anti-Cong campaign

After finding itself hyphenated with the war in Sri Lanka,the Congress has got some fresh trouble in hand in the form of Tamil film directors....

After finding itself hyphenated with the war in Sri Lanka,the Congress has got some fresh trouble in hand in the form of Tamil film directors as campaign for the 40 seats in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry picks up steam.

Much to its dismay,the party has become a target of a group of 15 directors—including award-winning movie maker Bharathirajaa,and NSA detainee Seeman—who have pledged to campaign against the “betrayers of Tamils” during this elections.

Though they did not name any party by name,members of the newly-formed Tamil Film pro-Eelam Organisation have left nothing to imagination by announcing 10 places where they would campaign in the coming days,all constituencies where Congress has fielded candidates. After launching the series of public meetings at Kancheepuram,a significant political venue being the birthplace of legendary Dravidian leader C N Annadurai,the campaign will move on to Erode (Union Minister E V K S Elangovan is the Congress candidate here),Sivaganga (Union Minister P Chidambaram’s home constituency) and end at Puducherry (yet another Union Minister V Narayanaswamy is the candidate here). Announcing this in Chennai,Bharathirajaa said the public meetings were aimed at making the public aware of the plight of Lankan Tamil civilians and expose the “betrayers”. “This Parliamentary election is a way to expose them. We will ask the public not to vote for them. Anyone but the betrayers of Tamils,” he said. The director added that they would also oppose Congress president Sonia Gandhi,if she comes to Tamil Nadu to campaign.

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Bharathirajaa,a two-time National Award winning director,had recently announced that he would return his Padma Shri in protest against the Indian Government’s failure in saving the lives of Tamils in Sri Lanka. A known pro-LTTE personality,he was a guest during the Heroes’ Day ceremony in Jaffna in 2004.

Seeman was arrested under the provisions of NSA for allegedly making a pro-LTTE and seditious speech. However,the case did not hold good in the court of law,as the High Court quashed it after careful consideration of facts and circumstances,stating that a mere delivery of speech without consequential unlawful activity was not enough to invoke NSA provisions.

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