Sidelined leader of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (Amma) T.T.V. Dhinakaran on Wednesday accused the Tamil Nadu police of “intimidating” Members of Legislative Assembly owing allegiance to him.
According to him, the legislators told him that they were being “pressured” to back Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and “offered crores of rupees.” Otherwise, “false cases” would be filed against them, they were reportedly told.
Addressing reporters here, Mr. Dhinakaran blamed the Chief Minister of “using the police to secure the support of a majority of MLAs.”
Referring to the visit of a police team to a resort in Kodagu, Karnataka, on Tuesday to arrest former Higher Education Minister P. Palaniappan in connection with an alleged case of abetment of suicide of a contractor, Mr. Dhinakaran said that the team was still there on Wednesday.
He added that he was consulting with lawyers, after which he would move the court against the police and Mr. Palaniswami, who was in charge of the police department.
On the next course of action that he would pursue against the Palaniswami government, he said he was still waiting for the response of Governor Ch. Vidayasagar Rao whom he met a week ago to reiterate his demand that the Chief Minister should be directed to prove his majority through a floor test. If the governor did not respond positively, he would announce his plan in a few days.
In the event of a floor test, the MLAs supporting him would act as per the “directions of general secretary [V.K. Sasikala] and deputy general secretary [Mr. Dhinakaran] with a view to protecting the party.” He emphasised that he would go to any extent to safeguard the party.
He said there was no question of aligning with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, which he termed as the AIADMK’s political enemy.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday night, Mr. Dhinakaran removed Mr. Palaniswami and Dindigul C. Sreenivasan from the positions of Headquarters Secretary and Treasurer. Their places would be filled by Mr. Palaniappan and M. Rengasamy.
On Wednesday, he also announced that N. Thalavai Sundaram, once regarded as his close aide, and A. Tamizhmagan Hussain, had been divested of their posts as organising secretary and MGR Mandram secretary.
