Chennai: The ruling AIADMK on Monday told the 18 disqualified MLAs in the TTV Dhinakaran camp to "kneel and apologise" at the Marina memorial of 'Amma' Jayalalithaa for being considered for readmission into the party.
Reminding these legislators that they got elected in the 2016 Assembly polls only due to Amma's charisma and popularity, the AIADMK party organ, Namathu Amma, asked the 18 to "deeply repent" their rebellion and aligning with Sasikala-TTV at least now, so that they could return to the parent party. These disqualified MLAs have "come to the street" and are "in a pitiable situation" because they joined "the wrong camp", said the party newspaper in its article that has come close on the heels of the reconciliation offer from Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and Deputy CM O Panneerselvam who accused TTV of misleading the 18 MLAs.
"You deserted the temple called AIADMK and joined AMMK. Whether you went for benefits or you went unwittingly, this situation has come up because of your veering off the path shown by Amma (Jayalalithaa)," the newspaper told the 18 MLAs in its special article.
"Deeply repent (your actions). Kneel before Amma (at her memorial at Marina) and seek a tearful apology. Issue an apology letter to the party and return in quick time," it said, while reminding them that it was 'Amma' who dismissed TTV from the AIADMK and had chosen not to readmit him.
In a huge relief to the Edappadi government, the Madras high court had on October 25 upheld the September 17 order of the Assembly Speaker P. Dhanapal disqualifying the 18 rebel AIADMK MLAs. After hearing the pleas of the rival parties, Justice M Sathyanarayanan passed his order on the case that was posted before him following a Supreme Court directive posting the matter before a third judge after the First Bench comprising the then Chief Justice Indira Banarjee and Justice M. Sundar gave a split verdict on June 14.
On Saturday, AIADMK coordinator Panneerselvam and joint coordinator Palaniswami had said some party members — including the 18 disqualified MLAs — had chosen to travel on an “alternative path as a result of being misled and due to some bitterness”. “We invite you with love and affection to join again the massive people’s movement nurtured by Puratchi Thalaivar MGR and Puratchi Thalaivi Amma,” they had said in an open letter to these ‘misled’ persons. Their invitation, however, was not meant for TTV and Sasikala.
But then, key Dhinakaran loyalist and one of the disqualified MLAs, P. Vetrivel, has ruled out returning to the AIADMK. He insisted that the TTV team would emerge the ultimate winner and ‘retrieve’ the AIADMK “by going to the people and facing the elections”.
