Sticking to his charge that there are terrorists in Tamil Nadu, Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan today said the Centre was ready to extend help if the state sought its support to rein in such elements, even as Ministers dismissed his accusation.
"There are terrorists in the state..Even Chief Minister K Palaniswami and a senior police official have spoken of this," he said, reiterating the charge he has been making for over a year that they have a free run in Tamil Nadu.
Asked if the Centre would render assistance to rein in such terror elements, the Minister of State for Finance and Shipping told reporters, "if the Tamil Nadu government seeks help, we will do it for sure."
Palaniswami, citing violent incidents on May 22 and 23 such as hurling of petrol bombs and damage to public property, had said on June 4 in the Assembly that "are they general public? there were, hence, some miscreants and anti-socials."
Rubbishing the allegations,Tamil Nadu Handloom Minister O S Manian said Tamil Nadu was the only state in the entire country which was peaceful and the only one where there was no scope for terrorism, extremism and separatism
Minister for Information, Kadambur Raju said in Kovilpatti that Tamil Nadu was a haven of peace and that "there has never been room for extremism in the state ever since Amma's days (in power)."
"Therefore, if Tamil Nadu government doesn't act swiftly, the people of the state will face a big threat."
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