Ahead of expelled leader V K Sasikala’s return on February 8, the ruling AIADMK on Saturday said it has lodged a complaint with police against the camp of the close aide of late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa alleging a ‘conspiracy’ to unleash ‘violence’ and sought action to protect Tamil Nadu and ensure peace. Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam chief and Sasikala’s nephew Dhinakaran rubbished the conspiracy allegation as defamatory and lies.
The allegation by the AIADMK comes ahead of Sasikala’s return to Tamil Nadu on Monday from Karnataka after her recovery from COVID-19 and following completion of her jail term in a corruption case. A high-level AIADMK meet, chaired by Chief Minister K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam was meanwhile held here.
Sources said the matters deliberated covered Assembly elections likely in April or May and the party organisation work. Party leaders, however, declined to comment if the ‘Sasikala factor’ was discussed. Law Minister C Ve Shanmugam said a complaint has been submitted with police seeking to “thwart a conspiracy to unleash violence and protect the lives of Tamil Nadu people and properties from Sasikala and Dhinakaran and ensure peace.” Flanked by his Cabinet colleagues and party veteran E Madhusudhanan, Shanmugam alleged the conspiracy has been hatched to create ‘violence’ by using AIADMK’s name and flag and then blame the ruling party for it.
‘Intimidatory’ remarks, tantamount to creating violence in the state have been made by Dhinakaran and his supporters, he alleged. Speaking to reporters after submitting the complaint at the office of the Director General of Police, the Minister said Dhinakaran had claimed that they could not be prevented from using the AIADMK’s flag even if they went to the state police chief or the armed forces.
Dhinakaran and Sasikala’s supporters have also warned of turning into ‘human bombs,’ which put at risk Tamil Nadu, its people and peace, he alleged. Dhinakaran dismissed the allegation as ‘distortion,’ lies and defamatory.
In a statement, the AMMK leader claimed that the police department has accorded sanction to the party’s plan to accord reception to Sasikala at several places in Tamil Nadu on Monday. The AMMK has already announced a grand reception for Sasikala right from the start of Tamil Nadu border near Hosur.
On the previous complaint against Sasikala, Shanmugam said it was connected to her use of party flag and AIADMK’s strong objection to it and the present one pertained to conspiracy to stoke violence. In a signal against Sasikala, the AIADMK had days ago lodged a complaint with the DGP office against the use of its flag by her and sought action.
Shanmugam said the true AIADMK was the one steered by presidium chairman E Madhusudhanan and top leaders O Panneerselvam and K Palaniswami. This was made amply clear in a Supreme Court verdict in a matter related to the AIADMK’s two-leaves symbol in which Sasikala-Dhinakaran were also parties, he said.
Following the verdict, the party fought by-elections and the 2019 Lok Sabha elections as well with the two-leaves symbol, he recalled. Days ago, a war of words broke out between the AIADMK and AMMK after the ruling party’s flag was spotted on a car used by Sasikala in Bengaluru.
While AIADMK maintained that she was not even a party member and had no right to use the flag and went to the police, AMMK claimed that she was ‘AIADMK general secretary.’ It said it would continue its fight to ‘retrieve’ the AIADMK legally and democratically.