Will take legal action on TTV Dhinakaran: D. Jayakumar

CHENNAI: Castigating TTV Dhinakaran for using a flag similar to that of the AIADMK's, Fisheries Minister D. Jayakumar on Friday threatened legal action against the rebel who is taking the plunge in R K Nagar by-poll as an independent candidate. The Minister also said the fight was only between AIADMK's E Madhusudhanan and DMK nominee N Marudhu Ganesh and that the ruling party did not even consider Dhinakaran as a “match.”

As Dhinakaran filed his nomination papers on Friday, his supporters carried a flag without the portrait of DMK founder C N Annadurai — the AIADMK's flag has the portrait of the legendary Dravidian leader — stoking a political controversy. AIADMK accused the rebel TTV camp of trying to “mislead” the voters by using a flag that is similar to that of the one officially recognised as the party's flag by the Election Commission.

Dhinakaran, who is now entering the fray as an independent after the EC had last week recognised EPS-OPS as the AIADMK and allotted the Two Leaves symbol to them, is seeking 'hat' symbol which he claims would favour him since he had the same symbol in the April 12 by-elections that was rescinded.  “Who gave permission to TTV Dhinakaran to use the AIADMK flag? The Election Commission in its verdict has said that the name, symbol and flag would go to the EPS-OPS group. Then, how can Dhinakaran use the flag? Why is he hell bent on misleading the people of Tamil Nadu?” he asked.

Warning that he would take legal action against Dhinakaran for using the flag, the Minister said no one would vote for him since he is contesting against the official nominee of the AIADMK. “People know that Dhinakaran is contesting against the Two Leaves symbol that was chosen by late M G Ramachandran and retrieved by late J Jayalalithaa. People will never forgive such people”, he said. “Dhinakaran is no match to us. The fight is only between the AIADMK and the DMK,” he said.