Tamil movie directors Seeman and Ameer, arrested on charges of sedition for supporting an armed struggle for a separate Tamil homeland in Sri Lanka, on Saturday said they are victims of political vendetta.
"We did not say or do anything illegal against India's unity and integrity. We are victims of political skullduggery. Our support is for the ethnic Tamil minority in Sri Lanka and that remains unchanged," Ameer told reporters.
The duo has been charged with making seditious speeches on Oct 19 exhorting armed rebellion in Tamil Nadu in support of Lankan Tamil civilians allegedly suffering at the hands of the military establishment in Sri Lanka.
"Over 2,000 film personalities supported Sri Lankan Tamils in Rameshwaram (Oct 19) and spoke angrily about their conditions and sufferings. Will this government dare to arrest them as well?" asked Seeman.
The huge police posse allowed television and print media reporters as well as pro-Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealem demonstrators to greet them. They were garlanded by the pro-rebel supporters.
The two directors are expected to be brought back to Madurai after remand in a magistrate's court in Ramanathapuram, 120 km south of Madurai, and will be housed in the central prison here later Saturday, police sources said.
{{/usCountry}}The two directors are expected to be brought back to Madurai after remand in a magistrate's court in Ramanathapuram, 120 km south of Madurai, and will be housed in the central prison here later Saturday, police sources said.
{{/usCountry}}Hundreds of MDMK workers protesting Thursday's arrest of their leaders Vaiko and M Kannappan on the same charges also courted arrest all over the state, police officials added from Chennai.