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Seeman defends Yasin Malik's presence in pro-Tamil meeting

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Press Trust of India Chennai
Defending his inviting JKLF chief Yasin Malik for a pro-Tamil meeting in Cuddalore last week, Naam Tamilar chief Seeman today said JKLF was not a banned organisation and there was nothing wrong in inviting his "Kashmiri brother" to Tamil Nadu.

Responding to criticism by Congress and BJP for the presence of Malik in his party's meet at Cuddalore on Saturday, Seeman said there was nothing wrong in the JKLF chief's presence as the two parties themselves hold "India is one country from Kashmir to Kanyakumari."

"JKLF is not a banned organisation. It (the outfit) may not be acceptable to BJP and Congress but its political leadership has a right to express opinions in any part of the country," Seeman, also a film actor-director, said in a statement.
 

He slammed the Congress and BJP for adopting similar stands regarding economic policies and termed them as "two sides of the same coin."

He asked if Kashmir was accorded special status, why was Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in force there.

Malik's presence in the meeting, which was confined to indoors after police banned a public meeting for violating conditions, had created a controversy with Congress and BJP demanding how the JKLF chief managed to make his way to Cuddalore.

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First Published: May 21 2013 | 6:40 PM IST

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