Nanjil Sampath loses AIADMK post

In a couple of interviews to TV channels on Saturday, Mr. Sampath reportedly made ‘insensitive’ statements about the recent floods, sources said.

Nanjil Sampath during a campaign organised by the AIADMK. File photo: M. Sathyamoorthy

AIADMK supremo and Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Saturday night removed Nanjil Sampath, the deputy propaganda secretary, from his post.

The terse one-line statement issued here by the party headquarters did not cite any reason.

In a couple of interviews to television channels on Saturday, Mr. Sampath reportedly made ‘insensitive’ statements about the recent floods, sources said.

On Puthiya Thalaimurai channel, in response to a question about the rationale in conducting such a grand general council meeting after the devastating Chennai floods, he said the people had recovered completely from it. But went on to add that if there is a death close to a house where a wedding has been fixed, the wedding would go on.

In response to a question on Thanthi TV, Mr. Sampath reportedly asked whether elephants would stop walking because ants would be trampled.

He reportedly made other scathing remarks against politicians during the course of the interviews. Social media erupted with protests against his statements.

Mr. Sampath, known as a fiery orator in the political circles in Tamil Nadu, shifted to the Vaiko-led Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in 1994 and joined the AIADMK in December 2012. He was immediately appointed the party’s deputy propaganda secretary by Ms. Jayalalithaa.