I am shocked to learn about the arrest of MDMK General Secretary Shri Vaiko by the Tamil Nadu Police on charges of sedition.

Vaiko has always espoused the cause of Sri Lankan Tamils, whether one agrees with him or not but he has always been a patriot to the core and has never uttered a word against India or its people. The target of his criticism has always been the policies pursued by Central Governments on the ethnic issue in the island nation.

Several leaders belonging to different political parties and other organizations in Tamil Nadu have expressed strong views on the Tamil question. Shri Vaiko's was one such voice. Newspapers critical of certain Tamil organizations have been attacked by unruly cadres of different organizations.

Unfortunately, only Shri Vaiko has been targeted. One has all the reasons to believe that the action by the Tamil Nadu police has more to do with the changing political equations in the state ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. The state police's action smacks of sheer political vendetta, which has no place whatsoever in a mature democracy such as ours.

As a former Prime Minister, I condemn such acts of political vindictiveness which the people of India have never taken kindly to and have punished the perpetrators appropriately at the hustings.

I hope and pray that the Tamil Nadu Government would act fast and rectify this undemocratic action of its police force, release Shri Vaiko with all honour without any further delay and take stringent action against the guilty police officials.