NEW DELHI: President R Venkataraman Wednesday said the federal government had no option but to impose president’s rule in Tamil Nadu state in view of the state government’s failure to maintain public order.
However government is keen to restore a popular government as early as possible he said while addressing a joint session of both houses of Parliament.
Venkataraman said reports of several unlawful activities of Sri Lankan secessionist activists belonging to the Liberation of Tamil Tigers Eelam (LTTE) also led to the dismissal of the Karunanidhi government there.
Many militant LTTE cadres he said had been attempting to use places in the southern Indian state near Sri Lanka as a base for their activities.
Despite the concern expressed by the center the situation in Tamil Nadu continued to deteriorate and it was generally perceived that the LTTE could carry on their activities with impunity.
Policing in sensitive coastal areas left much to be desired and offers of assistance by the centre were not availed of by the state government he said.
The president said with the worsening situation in the north eastern province of Sri Lanka there had been a large scale influx of rogues mainly into Tamil Nadu Referring to the situation in the north eastern state of Assam Venkataraman said president’s rule was imposed and state assembly suspended as a situation was created in which elections to the state assembly could not be held in a free and fair manner.
During the year there was an increase in the secessionist activities of the United Liberation Front of Assam which was declared an unlawful organisation and the state declared a disturbed area Venkataraman said adding that army and para military forces deployed there had achieved visible success.
Elections will be held as soon as conditions become conducive to their being conducted in a free and fair manner he said.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 1, 1991
