AIADMK (Amma, PTA) leader and Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Tuesday launched a direct and strong attack on sidelined leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran at the party’s general council meeting here, saying his government cannot be shaken “even if a thousand Dhinakarans come.”
“Dhinakaran, who is he? Where did he go for the past 10 years? He had gone on exile. Dhinakaran was removed from the party’s primary membership by Jayalalithaa. He is questioning us today. Does he have the locus standi to call you and me traitors?” Mr. Palaniswami asked.
Stating that 2,130 general council members had turned up for the meeting, he said, “Think over as to why Amma (Jayalalithaa) removed them [Mr. Dhinakaran and his supporters] in these 10 years. These are the ones who were removed from the party and the government by Amma . Now, they are claiming the party and the government. How can we accept that?” he asked.
Questioning the way party functionaries were being removed from their posts by Mr. Dhinakaran every other day, Mr. Palaniswami referred to the former in the singular and asked: “Are you a member in the first place? When you are not a member, how can you remove others?”
He concluded his speech with a vow to retrieve the ‘two leaves’ symbol of the party.
