AIADMK row: TTV Dinakaran downplays defection of ministers, says revolt was out of fear

Hosur (Tamil Nadu): AIADMK (Amma) leader TTV Dinakaran, out on bail in a case of alleged bribery, repeated his earlier claim on Monday that a section of state ministers had revolted against him due to “some fears” but declined to say what they were. [caption id=“attachment_3394126” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of TTV Dinakaran. PTI[/caption] The AIADMK faction’s deputy general secretary also made light of the defection of some functionaries including MLAs and MPs under former chief minister O Panneerselvam, saying it was “not at all a big” issue. “But some ministers have some other problems and some other fear and in order to hide it they are telling I am the problem,” he told reporters here on the way to Bengaluru to meet his jailed aunt and party chief VK Sasikala. He said, the “fears” were “selfish” in nature, but declined to elaborate. “I will tell you later,” he said when reporters asked him what he meant when he talked about those “fears”. On 19 April, senior Tamil Nadu cabinet ministers had revolted against Dinakaran and said he and his “family” — an obvious reference to Sasikala — will be kept out of the party and the government. Dinakaran had then too blamed some “fears” among ministers for their revolt. The leader was released on bail by a Delhi court last week in a case of allegedly trying to bribe an Election Commission official to wrest the AIADMK’s two leaves symbol. He said he will plan his future course of action after meeting Sasikala and will base his actions on her guidance. The former member of Parliament, who had earlier declared he had “stepped aside” following the ministers’ revolt, on Monday said “resurgent” party workers wanted him to continue performing. “Supporters are our wealth and we work according to their will,” he said. Last week too, prior to leaving Delhi after being released on bail, Dinakaran had insisted he would “continue party work.” “How I should work I will get the general secretary’s (Sasikala) guidance,” he said Monday. He was scheduled to meet Sasikala to “apprise” her of the “situation after 45 days”, he said in an apparent reference to his being lodged in Tihar jail in Delhi in connection with the bribery case. Dinakaran said he “never had any intention of disturbing” the K Palaniswamy government and that the chief minister himself was well aware of it. To a question on opposition charges that the AIADMK government was toeing the central BJP government’s line on many issues, he said Palaniswamy and his cabinet colleagues should respond to the criticism but insisted AIADMK was “functioning independently”.