New Delhi: In an explosive revelation, former top Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam leader, wanted in India in connection with the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, has revealed that LTTE was aided by former PM Indira Gandhi.


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Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by an LTTE suicide bomber at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu on May 21, 1991.


In an exclusive interview to Zee Media, Kumaran Pathmanathan alias KP, who had taken over the leadership of the LTTE following the death of Velupillai Prabhakaran, said that Indira Gandhi, the mother of Rajiv Gandhi, at first tried to negotiate peace with the Sri Lankan government. However, at the same time, militant groups had started cropping up in Sri Lanka. Hence, in order to keep these groups under control, Mrs Gandhi asked RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) to support the organisations. These groups were then given full support and provided with arms and training, said KP.


Recalling Prabhakaran's India visit to meet the then PM Rajiv Gandhi in 1987, KP said the Congress leader wanted to make peace and strike good relations with Sri Lanka, and at the same time, satisfy the Tamil community. He had invited all leaders – political as well as militants. They all had accepted Indo-Sri Lanka peace accord but Prabhakaran was against it initially. Therefore, Rajiv Gandhi invited the LTTE leader and convinced him. Prabhakaran then accepted the accord, which paved the way for the arrival of India peacekeeping troops in Sri Lanka, said KP.


The former chief arms procurer of the LTTE further revealed that former Tamil Nadu chief minister MG Ramachandran, known as MGR, provided the money to the group to buy ships. “Sometimes, we used to send containers to India and the former Tamil Nadu chief minister used to clear those containers and send them back to us,” said Pathmanathan, adding the containers were then taken by boat to Valvettithurai.


He said the Sri Lankan Navy was not sophisticated at that time, which helped the group evade scrutiny.


When asked about the use of suicide bombs and cyanide capsules, KP said Prabhakaran got these ideas from the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and the Palestine Liberation organization (PLO) and improved upon them further.


The Tamil people respected the LTTE leader like a God and the group exploited this "emotional feeling". "It was brainwashing," KP said when asked how LTTE used to prepare youngsters for suicide bombing and using cyanide capsules.


He said some LTTE leaders, including himself and Anton Balasingham, objected to using child soldiers and suicide bombers but of no avail. “He (Prabhakaran) was his own man.”


KP, who was the chief international arms procurer for the LTTE, said that his family did not know he was involved with the terror group.


He also alleged that there was no link between LTTE and Maoist groups in Nepal and India.


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The Sri Lankan authorities arrested KP in Malaysia in August 2009 and brought to Sri Lanka.


Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s administration came under criticism for pardoning KP while persecuting LTTE suspects for lesser offences.


He is believed to possess information on the LTTE’s vast international assets.


He has reformed now and now takes care of three orphanages in Kilinochchi.