Sasikala removes Panneerselvam as party treasurer, says DMK behind his revolt; OPS hits back

An hour after former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam on Tuesday evening revolted against AIADMK General Secretary V.K. Sasikala, saying he was forced to resign as the head of government, the party removed him from the post of treasurer and appointed Dindigul C Srinivasan as the new treasurer.

The decision was taken when senior leaders and ministers met Sasikala at the Poes Garden residence of late J. Jayalalithaa. 

After the meeting, around 1am, Sasikala came out and greeted her supporters who assembled outside the house. "We will definitely remove Panneerselvam from the primary membership of the party," she said.

Sasikala said DMK was behind former Chief Minister O.Panneerselvam's revolt against her.

Speaking to reporters here Sasikala said all the party legislators were united as a single family.

She said DMK was behind Panneerselvam's action citing the bonhomie between him and DMK's Working President M.K.Stalin in the Assembly.

Sasikala dismissed Panneerselvam's charge that he was forced to quit and threatened and said Panneerselvam was prompted by DMK to level the charge.

On the other hand, Panneerselvam, soon after being removed from the post of party treasurer, said none had the right to do so and rubbished her claims that DMK was behind his moves. 

He said his next course of action would "reflect" the "aspirations" of AIADMK cadres and people of Tamil Nadu. 

"No one has the right to remove me from the post of treasurer which was given to me by Amma 10 years ago," he told reporters. 

Panneerselvam said he had discharged his duties as party treasurer to the satisfaction of Jayalalithaa. "I have thefulfilment that I have done my job as treasurer fully to the satisfaction of Amma." 

On Sasikala's charge that the DMK was behind him as he was all along smiling at Leader of Opposition in Assembly MK Stalin, he said "only humans can laugh and smiling at people cannot be a crime." 

Asked if the AIADMK chief had charged him with association with DMK as she could not find any other allegation, he quoted a Tamil proverb, the meaning of which is "I have nothing and no one to fear as I have done no wrong." 

Panneerselvam also said "I am a grassroot-level ordinary party worker." 

Asked if he would launch a new party and if he would call on Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao, he said "please wait and see."  

Paneerselvam, who had submitted his resignation to the Governor on Sunday after Sasikala was elected as the Legislative party leader by AIADMK MlAs, said he was forced to resign from the post and would withdraw it if people, party men and MLAs wanted it.

 The normally quiet and unassuming Man Friday of J Jayalalithaa chose to break his silence on the happenings in the party ever since the death of his mentor on December 5, saying he was being "insulted" by senior ministers and leaders who sought to "undermine" him after electing him the Chief Minister. 

Before coming out in open against AIADMK leadership, Panneerselvam, or OPS as he is often called, made an unexpected visit to Jayalalithaa's 'Samadhi' and sat in meditation for about 40 minutes, creating a flutter in political circles. 

Later, talking to journalists he narrated how attempts were made to force him to allow Sasikala's elevation as CM. 

Panneerselvam said his main job after Jayalalithaa's death was to protect the image of the party and the government as left by the late chief minister, but attempts were made to "sabotage" his endeavours. 

He said, on Sunday last, he was called to the Poes Garden residence of Jayalalithaa which is now occupied by Sasikala where senior party leaders, MLAs, Ministers and members of her family were present. 

"I was called to the meeting about which I did not even know. I went to Chinamma (Sasikala) and they asked me to resign. They said I should resign to make Sasikala the CM. I asked them what's the necessity for an MLAs' meeting. They said both the positions of party general secretary and the CM should be with one person," he said. 

"For two hours they tried to convince me. But I asked them whether it is fair to ask me to resign after having elected me the leader of the AIADMK legislature party which I did not want in the first place. Still, I tolerated all the insult just to maintain party discipline." 

Pannerselvam said he wanted to go to Jayalalithaa's 'Samadhi' to "vent out everything that was in my mind" but was not allowed. 

"At that stage, they forced me, saying you should follow party discipline. I resigned because I was forced to," he said. 

"I want a CM who will protect the people of the state and the state, even if it is not OPS. But he should protect the image of the government that Jaya provided us. I will fight for it to the last even if I am alone," he said. 

When asked if he could withdraw his resignation, Panneerselvam said,"Yes, if people of the state, and party cadres desire so, I will do it."

"Only a person who can protect the party (AIADMK) and run the government on the principles laid down by late J. Jayalalithaa should come at the helm (of Tamil Nadu government)," he said after ending his 40-minute meditation at Jayalalithaa's memorial.

“I am saying these facts in front of you to make things clear in public I will continue to struggle. I will take back my resignation if party workers and people ask me to," he added. 

"I will fight for this even if I am alone," the normally softspoken Panneerselvam said.

Paneerselvam's revolt comes amid uncertainty over the swearing in of Sasikala as the Chief Minister. 

He arrived at Jaya memorial around 9 pm at Marina beach. Clad in a white shirt and dhoti, and sporting his trademark holy ash and kumkum, he sat on the floor inside the burial site enclosure in a traditional meditating posture.

After sitting for nearly 40 minutes, he opened his eyes, wiped tears and prostrated as a mark of respect and then circumambulated the burial site. Panneerselvam arrived at the site around 9 PM and placed a wreath before sitting in meditation.

He had on Sunday tendered his resignation from the post of Chief Minister citing 'personal reasons' and setting the stage for takeover of Sasikala, who was elected as Legislature Party leader earlier that day. 

Narrating the sequence of events since the last days of Jayalalithaa in Apollo hospital, Panneerselvam said the late chief minister's soul pushed him to say something which was why he was presenting himself before journalists.
 
He said almost 70 days after Jayalalithaa was in Apollo hospital Sasikala had discussion with him about how to run the party and the government if something untoward happened to Jayalalithaa. 

Panneerselvam said he was distressed and asked her what was the need to discuss these issues. Sasikala, in fact, wanted party senior Madhusudhan as General Secretary to which he (Panneerselvam) was not agreeable. 

Sasikala said he was nominated twice by Jayalalithaa as chief minister and that the party and the government should not be harmed. Then only I accepted it (the chief minister's post), he said. 

After two or three days, Health minister Vijay Bhaskar came to me and said Divakaran, Sasikala's relative, had told him to convey that "you all have become ministers so we are all going back to our town. Let anything happen we are not bothered." 

Panneerselvam said all senior ministers told him that Sasikala should be made General secretary, a post to which she was later elected by the party's general council.