Jaya warns PMK party of a ban

            As violence continued to mar many places in the State even after the release of PMK leader S. Ramadoss from jail, the government would not hesitate to ban any political party that indulged in violence, created a law and order problem, damaged public property and disturbed peace, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa said in the Assembly. She also said steps would be taken to recover from the PMK the cost of the damage to public property under the Tamil Nadu Public Property (Prevention of Damage and Loss) Act, 1992.

She said that, the government would calculate the damage and take steps to recover the amount from the PMK. Accusing the PMK of resorting to violent methods instead of expressing its views through democratic means and functioning contrary to what was expected of a political party, she said her government would not tolerate the illegal activities of the PMK and would invoke the Goondas Act and National Security Act (NSA) against perpetrators of violence and their instigators.

Recalling the developments that led to the arrest of PMK leaders including Dr Ramadoss, his son and former Union Minister Anbumani Ramadoss and the detention of PMK MLA Katuvetti J. Guru under the NSA, Ms Jayalalithaa said public property worth crores of rupees had been destroyed in the violence unleashed by the PMK men.

Sixteen vehicles, including 14 buses, were burnt and a driver died of burn injuries. A driver and a passenger were killed in stone-throwing incidents and 11 others were injured. A total of 853 vehicles were damaged. Moreover, 120 trees were felled and another 45 trees were burnt. She said, on the one hand, he is claiming to plant trees under the banner of Pasumai Thayagam, a non-government organisation, and on the other, he is destroying them. It is a classic case of the devil quoting the scripture.

Recalling Dr Ramadoss’ message to his party cadres that neither he nor his party workers could be cowed down by the repressive measures, Ms Jayalalithaa wondered whether his remarks would amount to saying that the PMK men would not tire of throwing stones and petrol bombs and damaging property. She said by insisting that the struggle would continue, both Dr Ramadoss and his son were actually instigating violence. That is why violence continues even after Dr Ramadoss was released on bail. Buses were stoned and vehicles damaged.

The Chief Minister said that bus transport was severely hit on the national and State highways in the night. In Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Vellore, Kancheepuram, Namakkal, Dharmapuri, Thanjavur and Nagapattinam districts, 1,601 route buses were not operated on May 1. The government strengthened security measures, but at night, 2,267 routes were not operated because of security reasons.

            However legal experts felt the threat to ban PMK was a mere posturing as the state had no power to ban parties. But the PMK could be in trouble as there was enough evidence of violence to justify a ban on its parent body, the Vanniyar Sangam. It’s well within the powers of the State government. States have no powers to ban political parties. They can only recommend to the Centre the banning of certain movements and outfits, which they suspect could be involved in fundamentalist and terrorist activities.

Peace Vs PMK
The warning by the Chief Minister Jayalalithaa to ban political outfits that resort to violence in the state has attracted differing opinions over the state’s power to ban an organisation. TN has banned several outfits since the early 1990s. Here’s a look into it some important org, that was banned.	Liberation of Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)in 1992
	TN Liberation Army, a wing of the TN Communist Party (Marxist-Lenin), 2002
	Tamil Nadu Retrieval Troops, banned in 2001
	All India Al-Jihad Committee and Al Umma banned in 1998

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