Dinakaran camp hits back at Palanisami, calls him ‘traitor’ as AIADMK merger inches closer
Truce talks between AIADMK’s warring factions come after months of political drama since J Jayalalithaa’s death in December last year.
The TTV Dinkaran camp in AIADMK on Thursday hit out at chief minister K Palanisami for questioning the authority of the deputy general secretary and termed it as a “betrayal”, warning him of a backlash.
Two senior leaders of the Dinakaran camp also called Palanisami a “traitor”.
AIAMDK’s Karnataka unit secretary and Dinakaran loyalist V Pugazhenthi termed the events as “drama” after the AIADMK Amma faction led by Palanisami questioned the authority of Dinakaran and that of jailed party leader V K Sasikala.
“These decisions are not binding on us. Party supporters will not accept this. They have poked their eyes with their own fingers,” he told reporters.
“We are holding consultations with our deputy general secretary (Dinakaran). Anything can happen. This is the peak of betrayal where Palaniswami has ventured into,” he said.
Such decisions cannot be taken by a few office-bearers, as was done today, but is a larger exercise with a number of them required to take decisions, Pugazhenthi said.
He vowed “to teach a lesson to traitors”.
The leader also alleged the possibility of role of former chief minister and rebel faction chief O Panneerselvam in Thursday’s developments.
“There could be behind the screens agreement with Panneerselvam,” he alleged.
Another Dinakaran loyalist, Nanchil Sampath, said the chief minister-led camp had come out with a “unilateral announcement” questioning the former’s authority.
“By doing such a thing, Panneerslevam has got an important place in the list of traitors. History has seen many traitors and this is another betrayal,” he said.
He questioned the Palanisami camp’s reasoning that Dinakaran’s appointment was not valid for the fact that he had not been a member of the party for five years prior to the appointment, since the late chief minister and party supremo J Jayalalithaa had expelled him in 2011.
Sampath recalled he had quit the Vaiko-led MDMK in December 2012 and was appointed the party’s deputy propaganda secretary that very day by Jayalalithaa then.
“Where were they then. Did these rules expire then?” he asked.
He said Dinakaran himself will announce the future course of action following today’s developments.
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