By IOL South Asia Correspondent

NEW DELHI, July 11 (IslamOnline) - A top political leader was taken into custody this afternoon as he landed in the Chennai airport returning from his US visit. Vaiko Gopalasamy, popularly known as "Vaiko", president of the MMDK party, paid the price of supporting the Sri Lanka's LTTE banned in India as a terrorist organization. India's anti-terrorism law (POTA) applies even to the supporters of terrorist organizations.

Before his U.S. visit Vaiko said in a public meeting on June 29 that he supported the LTTE "yesterday, supports it today and will support it tomorrow." Ironically Vaiko, a member of Parliament, and his party supported the POTA early this year despite widespread opposition all over the country. Vaiko's party is member of the National Democratic Alliance which rules at the center and has two ministers in the central cabinet. But, an opposition party (AIDMK) rules in Tamil Nadu state where he was arrested.

Eight other leaders of the MMDK party were arrested under POTA for supporting LTTE which killed the former Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in May 1991.

After his arrest Vaiko told reporters "We are not afraid and will not be cowed down by the repressive measures of the fascist Jayalalithaa government… we will fight the fascist regime with people's support".

Prior to MDMK leader's arrival in Chennai, about three thousand supporters of his party were taken into preventive custody all over the state of Tamil Nadu following the party's announcement that it would organize protests in various parts of the state if its party chief Vaiko was arrested. Police said the arrested included the party's presidium chairman L Ganesan.

Ganesan said "LTTE is fighting only against the Sri Lankan government and not against India. If the LTTE fought against India then MDMK will be the first party to oppose the LTTE movement." Vaiko in a statement issued from Chicago has termed the arrests as "political vendetta."

Earlier Police registered a case against Vaiko and other leaders of his party under POTA for allegedly making pro-LTTE remarks and obtained a non-bail able warrant to arrest Vaiko.

MDMK threatened that over 50,000 party supporters would block roads in Tamil Nadu Friday to protest the arrest of MDMK leader.

A party secretary and former member of Parliament, Ganesamurthy, after his arrest, told reporters that they were "rewarded" by the government for their support to the Sri Lankan Tamils, who had been fighting for their rights in their homeland.

The BJP, the leading party of the NDA, which rules at the center, Thursday came out in strong defense of the MDMK leader Vaiko, saying that his arrest under POTA was unwarranted.

"Vaiko has already explained the context of the statement made by him. After this explanation, the use of POTA is not warranted. We don't agree with what he says but many of our allies have made statements with which we do not agree," former law minister and party spokesman Arun Jaitley said.

Asked whether the arrest of Vaiko under POTA put the BJP in a dilemma over a law it made, Jaitley said "I don't think there is any cause for a dilemma. A strong anti-terrorist law was needed. The Act is to be implemented by the state government."

He said there was a review committee headed by a High Court judge to oversee the implementation of the Act.

Earlier in Mumbai, where he arrived Thursday morning from Washington, Vaiko justified his support for the LTTE saying the problem of Sri Lankan Tamils cannot be solved without the Tigers' involvement. "Can you refer to the resolution of Palestinian problem without the involvement of PLO? Can you refer to the Northern Ireland problem without the rebels? Similarly, the problem of Tamils in Sri Lanka could not be discussed without the reference to LTTE," he said.

Vaiko said the LTTE is spearheading the Tamil cause in Sri Lanka against the "genocidal attacks under successive governments there". He said he was only supporting LTTE in its struggle in Sri Lanka and not instigating violence in Tamil Nadu.