Chennai: A reported off-the-cuff remark by the Sri Lankan Army Chief, Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka dubbing some Tamil Nadu politicians as a bunch of "political jokers" who are "in the pay of the (banned) LTTE", is brewing into a major political storm in Chennai, just when another cyclonic system over the Bay of Bengal had mercifully weakened.

But this one seems to be far worse than the Kerala Chief Minister, Mr. Achuthanandan’s "dog remark" in the wake of the NSG officer Sandeep Unnikrishnan’s bravely dying while fighting terrorists in Mumbai recently, as almost the entire political class in Tamil Nadu are up in arms against the Island Nation’s Army Chief’s indiscreet remark in bad taste.

Though, as reported in a Colombo English daily, Lt. Gen. Fonseka had named only two Tamil Nadu politicians in particular, known for their deep sympathies to the Tamil Tigers, the devastating sweep of that remark has prompted even the DMK President and the State Chief Minister, Mr. M. Karunanidhi to strongly condemn his words "if they have been uttered".

The DMK leader felt that the Lankan Army Chief had clearly exceeded the boundaries of fair comment with such an insinuating remark. "It is understandable for politicians in Tamil Nadu to criticize each other (on the positions they take to resolve the Sri Lankan Tamils issue), but for an outsider to comment so intrusively, if true, is deplorable," Karunanidhi said.

A fuming PMK leader, Dr. S. Ramadoss, wanted the DMK leader to bring this serious development to the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh’s notice immediately, but Karunanidhi noted the PMO would have heard of it anyway. The strong words by Fonseka has already triggered street-protests in different parts of Tamil Nadu, notably by the CPI, PMK and Dalit Panthers of India (DPI), another pro-LTTE outfit, with they holding demonstrations and burning effigies of the Sri Lankan Army Chief.

The PMK, also a constituent of the Congress-led UPA at the Centre, has demanded nothing short of an outright apology by Lt. Gen. Fonseka for his "irresponsible, arrogant, tongue-lashing" against the political class in Tamil Nadu. This demand has been backed by other parties as well, notably, the MDMK led by Mr. Vaiko, which has billed a massive demonstration in front of the Sri Lankan Deputy High Commissioner’s Office in Chennai tomorrow, in a bid to censure Fonseka for his uncivil, imperious remarks.  

The CPI State Secretary, Mr. D. Pandiyan went a step further. He demanded that the Sri Lankan Mission in Chennai be closed down if Lt. Gen. Fonseka did not immediately apologize for his remarks casting aspersions on Tamil Nadu politicians pleading the Island Tamils cause.

"This is outrageous," Mr. Pandiyan told reporters here. Mr. Vaiko even wanted the Sri Lankan Mission in Delhi be shut if no apology came forth.

Even as these developments have sparked off a diplomatic row in the backdrop of India’s External Affairs Minister, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, to visit Colombo shortly, the Janata Party President, Dr. Subramanian Swamy today had a sobering take. If the politicians named by Fonseka were so hurt by the remark, then the proper course of action would be for the External Affairs Ministry to take it up with Sri Lanka at once, Dr. Swamy said.