2nd Lead (Adds background)

India turns back TNA MP

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 July 2004, 15:41 GMT]
Mr. Eelaventhan, a nominated Tamil National Alliance MP was turned back by Indian immigration authorities Saturday. Indian government officials confirmed that the TNA MP was refused entry to India at the Chennai International Airport Saturday.

He was on his way to attend a Tamil national conference in Bangalore, TNA sources said.

M.K. Eelaventhan was general secretary, Tamil Eelam Liberation Front (TELF), was deported from Chennai to Sri Lanka on December 4 2000. The Union Home Ministry of India accused Eelaventhan of sympathizing with LTTE, a banned organization in India.

Eelaventhan was a high-profile Tamil activist. He had been an employee of the Sri Lankan Central Bank and one of the leaders of the moderate Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) and in the late 1970s formed TELF (along with Kovai Maheswaran). He reached Tamil Nadu in 1981 after anti-Tamil violence broke out in Sri Lanka. He stayed as a refugee until 2000 when he was deported for not having a valid visa.

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