Sasi did not reveal Jaya hospital video to protect her, says deleted FB post

Chennai: A post on Facebook, now deleted, has said that VK Sasikala refused to share video footage on Jayalalithaa’s last days in hospital in order to protect her dignity.

The post was put up on Thursday by Sasikala’s nephew Jeyanandh, who at different times has played several roles in the politics of Tamil Nadu because of his aunt’s closeness to Jayalalithaa, who died last December while in office.

The post said the video captures the two talking to each other. The post read: “Even after being coined as a murderer, Amma's pic was not revealed by Sasikala as her enemies should not see her clad in a green gown", an NDTV report said.

While the fight for power goes on in the southern state, the Facebook claim provides latest ammunition to the feud that has torn Jayalalithaa’s party after her death.

O Panneerselvam has said the CBI must investigate the matter of Jayalalitha’s death and alleged that top leaders of the AIADMk, including him, were denied access to meet the politician while she was in hospital by Ms Sasikala. The Centre must order a probe as a state government probe would not be able to reveal the truth, he has maintained.

Panneerselvam broke the party after Sasikala replaced him and picked loyalist E Palanisamy as chief minister. Her ambition was dashed by a Supreme Court verdict sentencing her to four years in jail. Team OPS has 12 legislators compared to about 122 in the Sasikala faction.

Sasikala, who befriended Jayalalithaa in the 1980s and then moved in with her, also named her nephew TTV Dhinakaran as the deputy chief of AIADMK.

Recently the two factions have come together to demand the resignation of Sasikala and Dhinakaran as a precursor to merger talks.

OPS team says Panneerselvam is the rightful successor to Jayalalithaa based on opinion within the party and the public.

He has served twice as a CM when she was facing corruption charges. He took over as the head of the government after her death before Sasikala replaced him.

The deleted post by Jeyanandh on his Facebook page said: “We kept her as a mighty lion until her death and bid adieu. But OPS, just to garner votes, placed her in a coffin and paraded her."

The post further said: "Truth is strong and what if the videos of Amma's and Chinnamma's conversations surface one day? What should we do to PH Pandian and Manoj K Pandian.”