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Nedumaran had made inflammatory speeches supporting the LTTE, which is banned in India, at the conference, they said.
He was picked up from his house at Mylapore around 2150 hours IST and taken to Purasawakkam police station, his family sources told PTI. He has been remanded to one month's judicial custody and lodged in the central prison in Cuddalore.
Nedumaran is the second Tamil Nadu politician after MDMK chief V Gopalaswamy, popularly known as Vaiko, to be arrested under POTA for their pro-LTTE leanings.
With his stated links with Tamil sub-national groups, Nedumaran played a key role in negotiating the release of Kannada film actor Rajakumar from sandalwood smuggler Veerappan.
A defiant Nedumaran told reporters in front of the prison that he would consider his arrest as an award by the government for supporting the LTTE. "I am proud to be arrested under POTA. I will continue to support the LTTE, come what may," he said.
He pointed out that even when POTA was enacted, he had predicted it would be used against Tamil Nationalist Movement supporters.
"I gladly accept the imprisonment for my efforts to bring Tamils all over world under one roof," he said.
The TNM leader, in his April 13 speech, had glorified the LTTE describing the outfit as the 'saviour' of the Tamil race in Sri Lanka.
He organised another conference in Chennai on July 20 and 21, under the banner of the World Tamils Federation in which Sri Lankan Community Development Minister P Chandrasekaran said, "Tamil Nadu needs thousands of Vaikos and Nedumarans who are bold and firm in their sentiments for the cause of Sri Lankan Tamils."
Slogans supporting the LTTE were raised at the conference, permission for which was granted by the Madras high court, on condition that speakers would not express support the LTTE.
Nedumaran, who was once a Congressman, became an LTTE supporter in the late 1980s and floated the Tamil Nationalist Movement. He has since been organising Tamils right to live conferences all over the state.
The Tamil Nadu government had denied permission for holding such conferences as Nedumaran used them to publicise the cause of the LTTE. However, Nedumaran moved the Madras high court quite often and got permission to hold his conferences.
Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had recently said the state government was going through Nedumaran's speeches made in such conferences, and action would be taken against him.
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