AIADMK crisis: TTV Dinakaran hits back at Palaniswamy, claims he is in control of party

Thanjavur: TTV Dinakaran on Thursday warned of “surgical action” against Chief Minister E Palaniswamy and rubbished the party statements questioning his appointment as AIADMK (Amma) deputy general secretary and that of party chief VK Sasikala. As Sasikala’s handpicked chief minister raised a banner of revolt against her, Dinakaran wondered how the Palaniswamy camp could comment against Sasikala when they themselves had furnished an affidavit to the Election Commission (EC), endorsing her appointment as party chief. “They are talking something outside and have stated something different in the affidavit furnished with the EC,” he said and claimed that such an attitude amounted to “cheating.” He said when the Chief Minister’s camp had agreed that Sasikala’s appointment was done by the party leadership, the subsequent appointments done by her, including naming him as party deputy general secretary, was valid too. [caption id=“attachment_3521663” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of TTV Dinakaran. CNN-News18[/caption] Dinakaran, who is Sasikala’s nephew, said his post was a nominated one and the party general secretary could name office-bearers to such posts. He asserted that the appointments he made were valid as well and these were in tune with party bye-laws. He also cited Sasikala naming forest minister Dindigul C Srinivasan as party treasurer. The minister could operate the bank accounts only because his appointment by Sasikala was valid, he said. After the then-treasurer O Panneerselvam was expelled from the party, Srinivasan was named treasurer. Dinakaran said the same leaders who were now talking against them were the ones who had campaigned for him in the RK Nagar bypoll which was subsequently cancelled. Dismissing the meet chaired by Palaniswamy as caused by fear and selfish motives, he said the AIADMK was in the control of the party chief and himself. “For sure all steps will be taken for the party’s growth. If the situation warrants, surgical action will be taken,” he said, adding it does not matter if it was Chief Minister Palaniswamy or others. “We have the courage to take action and we have the support of cadres to do it.” Without naming anyone, he said action would be taken against those who had “forgotten” about who had appointed them to their current positions in the government and those who had joined hands with rivals to continue on their posts. Palaniswamy’s name was proposed by Sasikala for chief minister’s post at a hurried meet at a nearby resort after a Supreme Court order convicted her in an assets case. Dinkaran said the Palaniswamy camp’s act of coming out against him was due to several fears and one of them was that he was going to start my state wide tour “to strengthen the party”. “They have given these statements out of fear,” he said. He claimed that the chief minister’s camp had wantonly misinterpreted party rules to say that his appointment was against the party law and also questioned their using the letterhead of undivided AIADMK which was barred by the EC. Dinakaran said the incumbent AIADMK regime was set up by party general secretary Sasikala and hence it should not face any threat. He said he still had the “good heart” of ensuring that the government does not face any “danger” because of the “selfishness and wrong moves” of some leaders. “Nothing of that sort will happen. But those who commit mistakes will correct it or they will be reformed,” he said when asked if the government faced any threat. In the same breath, without naming the Palaniswamy camp, he said “they only want to protect their office and are not worried about the party”. He alleged that they were in the mindset of “decamping with whatever was available.” Dinakaran is perceived to command the loyalty of approximately 30-35 legislators in the 234 member House. “No one can confuse cadres… they are clear,” he said adding that the people too were closely following. They knew who were “ungrateful” and who were “good people” and it would be reflected in the 2019 Parliamentary elections. To a question if he would welcome back Panneerselvam, he said “not only O Panneerselvam, even those from other parties are welcome”.