TTV Dinakaran supporters hit back at Palaniswamy for questioning his authority, chief minister branded 'traitor'

Chennai: The TTV Dinakaran camp in AIADMK on Thursday hit out at Chief Minister E Palaniswamy for questioning the authority of the deputy general secretary, terming it as a “betrayal” and warned him of a backlash. Two senior leaders of the Dinakaran camp also called Palaniswamy a “traitor”. AIAMDK’s Karnataka unit secretary and Dinakaran loyalist V Pugazhenthi termed the AIADMK (Amma) faction led by Palaniswamy questioning the authority of Dinakaran and Sasikala as a “drama”. [caption id=“attachment_3521663” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of TTV Dinakaran. CNN-News18[/caption] “These decisions are not binding on us. Party supporters will not accept this. They have poked their eyes with their own fingers,” Pugazhenthi told reporters. “We are holding consultations with our deputy general secretary (Dinakaran). Anything can happen. This is the peak of betrayal where Palaniswamy has ventured into,” he said. “Such decisions cannot be taken by a few office-bearers, as was done today (Thursday), 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 the 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, Palaniswamy has secured an important place in the list of traitors. History has seen many traitors and this is another betrayal,” he said. He questioned the Palaniswamy 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 Thursday’s developments.