The political significance of re-opening the library was recognized by Mayor Sellan Kandaian, who decided to schedule it for 14 February as the Jaffna Municipal Council would stand dissolved on 17 February. Two days before the opening, the Mayor was told by two LTTE members from the Vanni to cancel the ceremony. That night, a gang tied up the security officers and robbed all the keys to the library. The next day, LTTE’s Jaffna political leader C Ilamparithy met Mayor Kandaian and urged him to postpone the opening. The Council then decided to postpone, but the Mayor and all the councillors resigned in protest.
Observers say that the LTTE is displeased that the Jaffna Municipal Council had maintained its independence despite extreme pressure from them, including the assassination of two Mayors - Sarojini Yogeswaran and P Sivapalan. In 2002, the Council adopted a unanimous resolution condemning the arbitrary taxes imposed on the people by the LTTE.