LTTE thre at to Indian leaders

Indian intelligence services are highly concerned about the prospect of an election-time attack by the LTTE on top political leaders, including Congress Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, The Hindu reported yesterday. According to The Hindu the inflammatory language being used by the terrorist group's supporters in India was a cause for concern on this alarming situation.

In a speech delivered on Wednesday, Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) Leader V.Gopalswamy, also known as Vaiko has warned of a large scale secessionist violence if Sri Lankan Forces killed LTTE chief Prabhakaran. He has also made a reference to the assassination of Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in Sriperumbudur and warned India of a secessionist movement if it did not push for an end to Sri Lanka's anti-LTTE campaign. Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by an LTTE suicide bomber while he was campaigning for the General Election at Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu on May 21, 1991.

"Facing annihilation in Sri Lanka, some analysts fear the LTTE could unleash violence within India to coerce its political leadership and create conditions where it could set up safe havens in Tamil Nadu. In the recent weeks, the LTTE has succeeded in slowing down the offensive Sri Lankan military operations by using the civilian population in the Mullaitivu region as human shield, the newspaper reported.