She can't reinduct people expelled by Jaya': AIADMK leader on Sasikala's nephew

Tirunelveli: Senior AIADMK leader V Karuppasamy Pandian on Wednesday quit from a party post, protesting the appointment of T T V Dinakaran as Deputy General Secretary by its chief V K Sasikala.

Pandian, the party's southern region strongman who had returned to AIADMK last year after a stint in DMK, announced his resignation as the party's Organisation Secretary, questioning if AIADMK was Sasikala's "family property".

Speaking to reporters here, he asked who gave Sasikala the authority to reinduct people expelled by the late Jayalalithaa and whether the party General Council or the

Executive had authorised her in this regard.

"Who gave her the authority to reinduct people expelled by Amma. AIADMK was founded by MGR (M G Ramachandran) for the welfare of the poor. Is it her (Sasikala) family property," he said.

The Supreme Court had yesterday restored a lower court order convicting Sasikala and three others in the disproportionate assets case.

A day after her conviction in the case, Sasikala today announced that Dinakaran, her nephew and a former Rajya Sabha MP, was being appointed the party's Deputy General Secretary.

Dinakaran was expelled along with Sasikala and some of her relatives from AIADMK by Jayalalithaa in 2011.

Jayalalithaa later withdrew the "disciplinary action" against her close aide, after Sasikala expressed regret.

Meanwhile, Social Welfare Minister V Saroja, who is also staying at the resort, defended the appointment of Dinakaran, describing him as a "calm and humble man."

She recalled that Jayalalithaa had once appointed him as the secretary of a key party forum meant to interact with the workers.

"He is not new to the party. He had moved closely with party workers. He is a calm and humble man," she told reporters at the Koovathur resort.

Saroja said that party MLAs will abide by the decision of Sasikala as she had been elected the General Secretary.

To a question about police presence in the resort, she alleged "they are exerting pressure (to vacate) and we are staying here with our families voluntarily." This had been made clear to the police officials, she said.

Asked who was behind the police "pressure," she shot back "you know it."

Saroja, who was part of the AIADMK team led by its Legislature Party Leader Edappady K Palaniswami that met the Governor to stake claim to form the government yesterday, exuded confidence that Ch Vidyasagar Rao will extend his invitation soon to them for this purpose.