MDMK leader detained under NSA

The propaganda secretary of the Vaiko-led MDMK, Nanchil Sampath, was detained under the National Security Act (NSA) on charges of making 'provocative speech' on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue.

The propaganda secretary of the Vaiko-led MDMK, Nanchil Sampath, was on Sunday detained under the National Security Act (NSA) on charges of making 'provocative speech' on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, during a public meeting at Tirupur near in Coimbatore.

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Sampath would be lodged in prison for a year under the NSA for making derogatory remarks against Congress President Sonia Gandhi and calling for a separate nationhood for Tamil Nadu, among others, an official release said.

The detention orders, signed by Tirupur district Collector, Samayamurthy, were served on Sampath this morning, police said.

Last evening, the Tirupur Magistrate Court had granted conditional bail to Sampath, who was arrested on similar charges on March seven and is lodged in the Central jail.

However, the MDMK leader would not be able to come out on bail since he has been detained under NSA, the release said.

The release also warned of "strict legal action" against persons supporting banned outfits or act in ways detrimental in maintaining law and order in the state.