Not under captive custody, say AIADMK MLAs

CHENNAI: Five MLAs belonging to the Sasikala camp on Friday appeared before the media outside a luxury resort near Mamallapuram, where they are currently lodged, to dismiss suggestions that they are under “captive custody” and claimed they “came here on our own without any force.” The MLAs, staying at the Golden Bay resort in Kuvathur on the scenic East Coast Road since Wednesday after they were herded into luxury buses following the AIADMK MLAs meeting, have been under criticism from their voters and public who claimed they have “kidnapped” and kept under the custody of the Sasikala camp.

“The notion that we have been forcibly brought here is completely wrong. We have come here on our own. Most of us decided to stay here because this place is close to Chennai and we can rush if there is a necessity. I completely deny the allegations that AIADMK brought us here,” Sholingur MLA N. G. Parthiban told reporters, along with four other MLAs. “We are not sparrows to be kept under captive,” another MLA said.

The MLAs, who spoke one after the other, began shooting the messenger by launching a no-holds bar attack against the media, accusing them of “spreading false news that we have gone incommunicado and that we have been brought here forcibly.” But none of them explained why majority of the MLAs are staying at one resort. The MLAs said some of them switched their phones off since they have receiving “lots of unwanted and nuisance calls” for the past few days. They also blamed the action by some AIADMK members who circulated the mobile numbers of MLAs on the social media for such calls.

“I blame the media for the false news. No one can say that I was incommunicado. My phone was never switched off and I was in constant touch. The media has spread the rumours,” Parthiban said, ignoring protests from the scribes for accusing them without any basis. Kattumannarkoil MLA Murugumaran went one step ahead by saying that majority of the legislators chose to stay at one resort since they felt “everyone should be together” at this crucial juncture. “We are all united to ensure that our most Honourable Chinamma, the ‘Ilaya Puratchi Thalaivi’ (Young Revolutionary Leader) the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Why should not we make her the Chief Minister?” he asked.

Krishnarayapuram MLA Geetha, whose cousin Preetha filed a case at the Madras high court on Thursday seeking to know her whereabouts since she was missing, said she would fight her cousin legally. “ “Why should we be hiding? We are all free and independent. We are not kept under captive custody. Preetha has defamed me and I will fight her legally,” she said. Another MLA, N. D. Venkatachalam from Perundurai, said: “We are free. We are keenly awaiting Governor’s invitation (to Sasikala to form government). We are not children to be detained or abducted as is being reported in a section of media.”