Chennai, July 7 :    Chennai, July 7:  Controversy seems to be courting Tamil Nadu politics. Close on the heels of the furore over an FIR lodged under the anti-terror law against MDMK leader Vaiko for supporting the LTTE, another party sympathetic to the Tigers' cause has decided to impart arms training and sword-fighting skills to its cadre. The Dravidar Kazhagam, led by lawyer K. Veeramani, has decided to train its youth cadre in self-defence. The youth wing of the party, founded by late rationalist activist Periyar, adopted a resolution at a conference in Salem yesterday that it would train its youth activists in the use of firearms with permission from the state government. Veeramani emphasised that violence was not his party's objective. But the MDMK and the state government seemed to be on a collision course after the party toughened its stand on the possible arrest of Vaiko. 'If Vaiko is arrested, the very next day party members throughout the state will picket taluka offices and district collectorates against such a blatantly undemocratic act,' MDMK's presidium chairman L. Ganesan said after the meeting. He added that Vaiko is scheduled to arrive in Chennai from the US on July 11. He refuted the charge that Vaiko had committed an offence under the Prevention of Terrorism Act by organising a rally at Thirumangalam near Madurai on June 29 in support of the banned LTTE. Ganesan said it was 'highly unreasonable and irrelevant' to book Vaiko under the Act as LTTE leader V. Prabhakaran's struggle was not aimed at 'exporting cross-border terrorism into India'. Therefore, it would not be correct to equate the situation with Pakistan-sponsored cross-border terrorism in Kashmir, he claimed. The Dravidar Kazhagam has also defended its training programme, citing the Bajrang Dal's decision to impart military training to 5,000 women cadre who will form the Durga Vahini in Uttar Pradesh. The training will include lessons in the use of guns and tridents. Pointing out that both the Uttar Pradesh government and the Centre had turned a blind eye to the Sangh parivar outfit's move, Veeramani said his party was more constitutional and would kick off its training programme only with the state government's consent. The resolution is reminiscent of late ADMK leader M.G. Ramachandran's dramatic utterance in Madurai in the early 1980s urging his party cadre to carry a knife for self-defence. MGR, however, never pursued his idea seriously. In another resolution, the party lauded chief minister Jayalalithaa for lowering the qualifying marks for various categories of students applying to the state's engineering colleges. But the MDMK passed a resolution targeting Jayalalithaa. The party said M. Karunanidhi's midnight arrest was a 'black chapter in the recent political history of Tamil Nadu' and it underscored her 'autocratic ways'. It rejected suggestions that it was seeking the DMK's support for its planned agitation.