(Image source from: Nagpurtoday.in)
AIADMK Merger Dubbed As Betrayal Of Sasikala By Dinakaran:- The merger of the two factions of AIADMK has been dubbed as a “betrayal” of party general secretary V K Sasikala, by ousted Deputy General Secretary of the party, TTV Dinakaran.
Dinakaran broke his silence on the sudden developments leading to the merger of the factions yesterday, led by Chief Minister K Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam. In a series of tweets last night, Dinakaran also questioned the durability of the arrangement.
“It is not a merger. It is a commercial agreement reached for self-interest and hunger for positions and to protect posts,” he claimed. He stated that his political journey would continue, and vowed to protect the party and retrieve its “Two Leaves” symbol. The symbol had been frozen by the Election Commission ahead of the now canceled April 14 by-election to R K Nagar Assembly constituency.
Dinakaran said he was suffering from sore throat and fever and had been advised rest and would meet media tomorrow. “Only god knows how long this (merger) will hold. In 1989, in deference to the wishes of cadres, Amma (late chief minister Jayalalithaa) was accepted as the general secretary and all united under her leadership,” he said.
Dinakaran was referring to the then reunification of the party after a split following the death of AIADMK founder and late chief minister M G Ramachandran in December 1987. After Ramachandran’s wife Janaki was appointed chief minister and Jayalalithaa claimed the support of the cadres, the split turned up.
“But today, the cadres cannot digest the merger which is accompanied with the announcement that steps would be taken to expel the general secretary (Sasikala) who was accepted by themselves,” he claimed, adding that it was a “betrayal”.
“Those who betrayed the general secretary who made Pannerselvam and Palaniswami the chief ministers after the death of Jayalalithaa”, would not be forgiven by not only the public, but also the AIADMK cadres, claimed Dinakaran. He charged that it was Panneerselvam who was instrumental in the freezing of the AIADMK symbol, he sought to know how the cadres would accept it.
“How can they (Palaniswami camp) join hands with Panneerselvam who till yesterday was branding the regime ruling the state as corrupt,” he said.
After the factions merged and Panneerselvam, was appointed the deputy chief minister and his close aide K Pandiarajan a minister, Dinakaran’s tweets comes in. Panneerselvam had challenged Sasikala’s leadership. After the merger, one of the leaders of Palaniswami camp R Vaithilingam had said that the General Council would take steps to remove Sasikala, a main demand made by Paneerselvam.
SUPRAJA
