A day after AIADMK Rajya Sabha MP Sasikala Pushpa claimed to have slapped her DMK counterpart ‘Tiruchi’ Siva at the Indira Gandhi International airport in New Delhi for allegedly criticising Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, both of them were learnt to have been summoned by their party leaders in Chennai to explain the embarrassing fracas that caught national attention.
Separately, several senior AIADMK leaders, whom The Hindu contacted, indicated that the party would like to distance itself from the episode and said Ms. Pushpa’s claim could not be accepted at face value as there were some personal issues between her and the DMK MP.
Mr. Siva, who met DMK president M. Karunanidhi at the latter’s residence, told journalists at the Chennai airport that he had not indulged in fisticuffs with the AIADMK MP as reported in sections of the media. “There were no exchanges between us. Even assuming that Sasikala’s claims are true, are they [AIADMK] trying to imply that you would be attacked in a public place for criticising the Government or ruling party,” he asked.
Ms. Pushpa, who was summoned to Ms. Jayalalithaa’s Poes Garden residence along with Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M. Thambidurai, refused to speak to journalists though on Saturday she was quite vocal about “slapping” Mr. Siva.
A senior AIADMK leader, who did not wish to be identified, told The Hindu that there was “something beyond politics” behind the alleged slapping incident at the Delhi airport. “Ms. Sasikala was removed from the powerful post of women’s wing head a few months ago after the leadership received adverse reports about her. We suspect that by claiming that she was provoked to slap the DMK MP since he criticised the Chief Minister she is making a desperate attempt to get back into the reckoning,” said the leader.
Another party leader, contended, “You shouldn’t see this as an AIADMK MP slapping a rival party’s MP. The incident is a fallout of her personal problem as no one would act in such a way [slapping] for mere verbal criticism of the Government. Ms. Pushpa is ‘a balanced lady’ and it is unlikely that she would have been provoked by mere criticism.”
A middle-level functionary said the incident brought “shame to the State.”
Curiously, half-a-dozen designated party spokespersons whom The Hindu contacted on Sunday refused to comment on the incident or defend their party MP.
Ms. Pushpa could not be reached for her reaction.
