Chennai, July 5: Former parliamentarian V Gopalaswamy, popularly referred to in Tamil Nadu as Vaiko, has been sentenced to 1-year jail term by a Chennai court which convicted him for sedition. The bench, however, approved the MDMK chief's application to stay his execution for one-month. His legal counsel is likely to challenge the conviction in Madras High Court.

The case against Vaiko dates back to 2009, when the DMK filed a complaint against him over a remark issued by him during the launch of his book "Naan Kuttram Kaattugiren". Hard Kaur Faces FIR For Comments Against UP CM Yogi Adityanath and RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat

Vaiko was accused of challenging India's sovereignty by allegedly commenting that parts of South would secede if the war on LTTE is not stopped in Sri Lanka.

"India will not remain one country if the war against the LTTE in Sri Lanka is not stopped," he is reported as saying at the book launch event 10 years ago.

Incidentally, the DMK, which had then filed a case against him, has now forged an alliance with his party and has announced him as their candidate for the biennial Rajya Sabha polls.

Vaiko had also served a year in jail in 2002, when the then Jayalalithaa-led AIADMK government had charged him under the stringent Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA). The case was withdrawn against him in 2014.

Notably, Vaiko has served as a three-time Lok Sabha MP from the DMK, representing the Sivakasi constituency. His last term ended in 2004.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 05, 2019 01:12 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).