Over 115 legislators of the AIADMK (Sasikala) camp, who have been confined to a private resort on the East Coast Road since February 8, were emotionally and physically traumatised, claimed Madurai (South) MLA S.S. Saravanan, who joined the Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam (OPS) faction on Monday evening.
“We were isolated in one place and were affected emotionally. But we were attending to phone calls and active on social media backing OPS,” he added.
According to Mr. Saravanan, a civil engineer, on Wednesday last after Ms. Sasikala conducted a fresh meeting of MLAs, all the legislators were herded on buses and taken to the Chennai airport to be flown to Delhi for parading before Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao, who was in the national capital then. However, upon learning that the Governor was coming to Chennai, the plan was changed and all of them were lodged at the resort.
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“At the resort, we were not supplied with liquor or women as claimed in some media reports. We had a phone on which many people from our respective constituencies contacted us. Some of them even abused us (for remaining in Sasikala camp). We would respond to them patiently. All the MLAs had the same mindset,” he said.
Asked what Ms. Sasikala told them, he said on the first day she visited the resort, she urged that all cadre should be united. She then interacted with each of them separately. On Sunday, she delivered a speech. “Today (Monday), she is staying overnight. She is doing her duty. But the voice of the people of Tamil Nadu has to be acknowledged. We have to respect their feelings. I was in the resort for five days. I thought this was the time to decide and I came out,” the MLA added.
“We were like dead bodies there. Our heart was affected. Our mind changed after they locked us up and people called us (urging to take the right decision),” he added.
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Explaining how he escaped, Mr. Saravanan said being a cricket player and swimmer, from day one [at the resort], he was engaged in sports activities.
“I was dressed casually in a T. Shirt and Bermuda. They (the guards) did not take me for an MLA. Today, after lunch, I managed to slip through the gate,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr. R. Gopalakrishnan, Lok Sabha MP from Madurai, who too joined the Chief Minister’s camp, said all the MPs will support him, except Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M. Thambi Durai.
“The MPs can take independent decisions since they are spread in different places….if allowed to make their own choices, everyone will support OPS,” he said.
CM visits Secretariat
Late in the evening, Tamil film actor Lawrence extended his support to the Chief Minister. “Even though we protested for seven days, it was only because of him (OPS), that the ban (on jallikattu) got lifted. On the 18th of this month, we want to celebrate the victory of jallikattu and we hope he too participates,” he said. On Sunday, actors Ramarajan and Thiyagu and director Manobala had joined Mr Panneerselvam’s camp.
The Chief Minister spent a large part of the day at the State Secretariat, the first time since he submitted his resignation and remained closeted with official.