The suspension of M.K. Alagiri from Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam recently has not deterred his supporters here from eulogising him.
Posters containing photographs of Mr. Alagiri with captions extolling him have been pasted at vantage points in the city on the eve of his birthday, falling on January 30. With the DMK district unit going all out in making preparations for the party’s conference slated on February 15 and 16 here, the posters hailing Mr. Alagiri have also found place alongside giant cut outs installed by party functionaries for the next month’s mega event.
One of the posters depicts a photograph of AIADMK founder and former Chief Minister M.G.Ramachandran presenting a gold ring to young Alagiri mentioning that the event took place at Katpadi in 1971.
Yet another poster claims that Mr. Alagiri’s political entry had commenced as early as 1967. One of them displays photographs of E.V. Ramasamy, C.N. Annadurai, M. Karunanidhi and Alagiri in a row.
All these posters, at the bottom, prominently contain photographs and names of individuals. Meanwhile, in neighbouring Pudukottai town, a group of DMK functionaries burnt an effigy of Mr. Alagiri in front of the party’ district unit office on Wednesday. In Thanjavur town, posters, in the name of the district youth wing of the party, have been pasted in various places, stating that party members would not be cowed down by any threat and would do everything to protect their president and the party.
Similar posters have appeared in Kumbakonam town too. The effigy of the former Minister was also burnt.
A staunch Alagiri loyalist, M. Venkatachalam, former chairman, Board of Trustees of Srirangam Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, says he and his colleagues from Tiruchi district would visit Madurai to greet Mr. Alagiri on his birthday. He also told The Hindu that Mr. Alagiri would visit Tiruchi after the DMK conference on February 15 and 16 adding that a big programme would be organised to distribute welfare assistance.
