Former NSA MK Narayanan attacked with slippers

Chennai: In a shocking incident, former West Bengal Governor and National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan on Wednesday evening was attacked with slippers by a 35-year-old man at a programme on Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in the city.

Police arrested Prabhakaran from Aranthangi in Pudukottai district for hurling a pair of slippers at Naryanan hitting on his shoulder and back when he got down from the dais and was leaving the hall. Mr Narayanan was participating in a discussion on the status of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in India at Music Academy.

Despite elaborate security arrangements made by the police at the venue, the slogan-shouting protester Prabhakaran managed to hit Narayanan with slippers.

The attacker shouted slogans saying Narayanan was responsible for the killing of 1.5 lakh Eelam Tamils and also “resolutions moved by Amma on Lankan Tamils had been ignored by the Centre”.

The police got hold of him soon after the incident. Prabhakaran was first person to enter the hall and was seated in the second row. He had told the police he did not belong to any outfit and he was participating in agitations whoever organises in the cause of Eelam Tamils.

Police were deployed inside and outside the venue and participants were allowed entry only after registration. The security was tightened in the wake of protests held by pro Tamil outfit May Seventeen Movement, a city based group.

Protesters opposed the presence of Mr Narayanan and pasted posters calling him an enemy of the Tamil race. Tamil groups have been opposing Narayanan as he was NSA during 2005-10, when Sri Lankan army’s launched its final attack on the LTTE leading to the decimation of the outfit in May 2009.

Thirumurugan Gandhi of May Seventeen Movement said that his group has no involvement in the attack as they do not believe in violence.