Panneerselvam revolted only after losing CM post: AIADMK

O. Panneerselvam

Chennai: The revolt by Tamil Nadu former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam against AIADMK General Secretary V.K. Sasikala is being opportunistic and fuelled by other forces, said a spokesperson of the ruling party on Wednesday.

"Only when his Chief Minister post was taken away he is raising his voice. But that, too after he had submitted his resignation and sending a 'thank you for your cooperation letter' to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao," Avadi Kumar, spokesperson for AIADMK told IANS. On Tuesday night Panneerselvam dropped the "Paneer Bomb" with his dramatic statement that he was forced to resign as the Chief Minister after meditating for 40 minutes at late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa's memorial.

Kumar said Panneerselvam wrote a letter to Modi after resigning his post on his own choice and there was no compulsion on him not to write such a letter. "He was acting alone, pursuing his own interests. The party did not gain any goodwill by his acts but on the other hand the party had to face the brunt of the government actions -- like the police action against the Jallikattu-bull taming sport protestors," Kumar said.

Pointing out Panneerselvam's own statement that he was asked to propose the name of Sasikala for the post of General Secretary and later for Chief Minister position, Kumar said: "What prevented him from opposing the move at the first instance itself." Kumar also wondered as to the reason for the continued absence of the Governor at a time when there is only a caretaker government in the state.

"We did not know where to reach him and give him the letter of support of legislators for Sasikala, who can stake her claim to form the next government," Kumar said. At a time when a political change is happening in the state, the Governor goes from Coimbatore to Delhi and then to Mumbai. He said this shows that the BJP and the Centre are fishing in the troubled waters.