Former Coimbatore urban district secretary of AIADMK and MLA T. Malaravan quit the party to extend support to Jayalalithaa’s niece J. Deepa. In a press meet at his residence on Wednesday, he said that AIADMK general secretary V.K. Sasikala’s husband Natarajan and brother Divakaran’s speech had hurt the feelings of the party workers and was against truth.
Sasikala’s family had no role in the merger of the Jaya and Janaki factions of the AIADMK. It was the party founder M.G. Ramachandran who bought the building that was now the party headquarters. MGR had issued a cheque for Rs. 28 lakh to buy the property, Mr. Malaravan said.
Mr. Natarajan’s statements had removed doubts in the minds of the party cadre on the family’s role in the party. In such circumstances, it was difficult for any AIADMK worker worth his salt to continue in the organisation that MGR founded and Jayalalithaa nurtured.
Those Ministers and district secretaries who continued in the party even after hearing what Mr. Natarajan and Mr. Divakaran had said were doing so purely for selfish reasons.
He would place his resignation letter on Jayalalithaa’s memorial in the next few days and thereafter meet Ms. Deepa, Mr. Malaravan added.