MADURAI: Former AIADMK ministers R B Udhayakumar and Sellur K Raju on Sunday slammed expelled party veteran K A Sengottaiyan for publicly criticising the party leadership, accusing him of letting personal ego override organisational unity.
In a video statement, Udhayakumar alleged that Sengottaiyan had long harboured a “hidden agenda” to undermine AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami. “Sengottaiyan has always been portrayed as soft-spoken and humble, but that image now stands shattered. His recent remarks have exposed his selfish and betraying motives. The cat is finally out of the bag,” the ex-minister said.
Questioning Sengottaiyan’s political credibility, Udhayakumar asked why the ex-minister was never entrusted with major responsibilities during J Jayalalithaa’s regime. “Did he ever counter the opposition’s criticisms when he was a minister?” he added. Referring to Sengottaiyan’s claim that he lost sleep after being expelled, Udhayakumar said, “He once said he would welcome disciplinary action, but now seeks sympathy. Any struggle he initiates will only serve his personal interests, not the people’s.”
Joining the criticism, Sellur K Raju said Sengottaiyan should have conveyed his concerns directly to EPS instead of airing them publicly. “Earlier, he wanted dual leadership, but after EPS became chief, what changed? The party leader is fully committed to strengthening the AIADMK,” he said.
Raju added that at a time when the AIADMK is unitedly taking on the DMK’s “dynastic politics and corruption,” Sengottaiyan’s comments were inappropriate. “Differences can exist, but senior leaders must address them internally,” he said.