: Even as V.K. Sasikala, the confidante of late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, keeps her political cards close to her chest, a meeting conducted by the AIADMK’s South Chennai North District unit on Friday, in which party presidium chairman E. Madhusoothanan and Fisheries Minister D. Jayakumar participated, adopted a resolution urging her to take over as general secretary of the party.
Attended by scores of cadre and leaders, the meeting also rejected the demand of the DMK and PMK to present a white paper on the treatment given to Jayalalithaa at the Apollo Hospitals and urged the Centre to posthumously confer the Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian award, on Jayalalithaa.
Addressing the participants, AIADMK organising secretary C. Ponnaiyan stressed on the importance of Ms. Sasikala taking over as general secretary when the party is in a crucial phase of its journey. He added that though Ms. Sasikala is yet to take a call, all party members are urging her to take over the mantle of leadership.
Mr. Ponnaiyan charged the AIADMK’s rival, the DMK, of trying to spread falsehoods about Ms. Sasikala and the treatment administered to Jayalalithaa for 75 days at Apollo Hospitals.
DMK leader M.K. Stalin and PMK founder S. Ramadoss had on Thursday sought a white paper on Jayalalithaa’s treatment protocol.
“Most reputed doctors treated her. The opposition parties are raising doubts for political gains. Specialists from Apollo Hospitals (where she was admitted), AIIMS doctors, Dr. Richard Beale from London and those from Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore worked as a team to treat her. Questions cannot be raised about the treatment,” he contended.
AIADMK South Chennai district unit secretary V.P. Kalairajan also dismissed the demand. “ No photos were released when the then Union Minister Murasoli Maran (Karunanidhi’s nephew) was in hospital. The DMK is spreading rumours about the treatment given to Jayalalithaa and the AIADMK cadre should not fall for it,” he said.
