SC verdict has unmasked the betrayers who wanted to finish off AIADMK: Palaniswami

Madurai: Elated over the Supreme Court verdict allowing him to continue as the AIADMK's top leader, its interim general secretary K Palaniswami on Wednesday said the ruling has unmasked "betrayers" and the "DMK's B-team" that wanted to finish off his party.

The favourable apex court was a result of the 'divinity' of party stalwarts, the late Chief Ministers M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa, he said at a mass wedding ceremony here.

In a veiled attack at his rival O Panneerselvam, a grinning Palaniswami said "some Ettappars (a Tamil reference to betrayers) who worked as DMK's B-team and wanted to finish off the AIADMK have been unmasked today. Many said AIADMK has no future (in the wake of the 2021 electoral defeat and in-party squabbles) and all that has ended with verdicts by the Supreme Court and the High Court," he said.

The Supreme Court earlier in the day upheld the order of the Madras High Court which allowed Palaniswami to continue as the interim general secretary of the AIADMK, founded by the late chief minister Ramachandran. The top court dismissed the petitions filed by Paneerselvam. The judgement came on a batch of pleas concerning amendments made to the party bylaws during the July 11, 2022 general council meeting. The AIADMK is no more "three or four," but was one united entity, he said, even as he exuded confidence of the party winning the February 27 Erode East bypoll.