'Panneerselvam a traitor, not afraid of any probe': Sasikala strikes back

Chennai: Exuding confidence that she would be sworn in as the next chief minister of Tamil Nadu, AIADMK party chief and leader of its legislators in the assembly, VK Sasikala lashed out at caretaker CM, O. Panneerselvam. She accused him of being a “traitor who betrayed the AIADMK.”

On another day of fast-paced political activities, Sasikala addressed a meeting of her MLAs at party headquarters from where a major part of her flock of MLAs was whisked away to secret locations to try and stave off any of them harbouring thoughts of switching loyalties. She also had time to appear on a Tamil channel to rebut a lot of what OPS had said in the course of his revelations at Jaya's memorial on the Marina on Tuesday night.

Sasikala asserted that the AIADMK members had asked her to lead them. “I don't know who is behind all this. Only time will tell,” she said dismissing Mr. Panneerselvam's accusation that he was forced to resign.

“On February 5, the MLAs elected me as their leader, the records are available. After that, in the evening, I went to the Governor's office. I was told that he had gone to Ooty. So all the MLAs were with me at the time. So, we faxed a letter from all the MLAs with their signatures,” she said replying to Mr Panneerselvam's charge.  “He is a traitor who betrayed the AIADMK. He is being backed by the DMK, which wants to destroy the AIADMK. The manner in which Panneerselvam behaves in the Assembly, it seems he is one of them (DMK),” she said in her takedown of his actions.

On Mr. Panneerselvam’s announcement on recommending an inquiry commission under a sitting Supreme Court judge to probe “doubts” over the health condition and demise of late Jayalalithaa, Ms. Sasikala replied that she was not afraid of any kind of investigation.

“I feel deeply saddened when a person, who was there in the hospital for 75 days, was questioned. Everything went well in the hospital. On her last day, she even watched serials on Jaya TV. Jayalalithaa used to love old songs. I used to record songs and show her. O. Panneerselvam and Pandian have betrayed Amma. Again these people are going to their old ways. We are not bothered,” she said.

“I have spent 33 years in this house with Amma. The party cadres know how I looked after her and worked for her.” “The news was deliberately planted by someone on Amma’s health condition. The doctors and hospital employees will testify how I took care of Amma. Only I know the grief and pain I had to go through,” she said and added that she didn’t want to reveal to the world how she took care of her.

“It is very personal. It is wrong news that there was a delay in taking Amma to the hospital. The first person I called was the Deputy SP. Everybody knows, including those in the hospital how I took care of her.”

DMK’s motive has been to destroy AIADMK:
Ms Sasikala hit out at the opposition DMK, and charged that DMK’s motive has always been to destroy the AIADMK. “They are our enemy party. We do hate DMK. When DMK was in power there were many instances. DMK never stood for the interest of people. Why should there be a friendship with DMK then?    
Expressing the hope that the Governor would pursue the right constitutional process, she said not a single word was heard from him despite sending him a letter. “We even sent a letter to Mumbai when we learnt that he was there. There was an acknowledgement, but no explanation for the delay,” she said.

When asked if there was a political motive behind this delay, she replied, “I don’t think there are political reasons behind why he is not inviting me.” She however, remained silent over a possible role of BJP in the current crisis.

She said Mr. Panneerselvam’s allegation was “false” and “baseless.” The Legislature Party members met her at Poes Garden and she assured them not to be apprehensive. “I told them please don’t worry and I will take AIADMK forward on the path of Amma. I told them not to get disheartened. After the meeting, all of them left. There was a lot of noise outside. I went outside, waived, and told them that I was with them,” she added.