CHENNAI: Even as Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, who heads the official faction of AIADMK, expressed confidence that the party would become unified soon, the rebel camp talked tough, saying it would spill out onto the streets to take on the government over public issues.Talking to reporters here on Monday, senior leader of AIADMK-PTA KP Munusamy said, “We will continue our protests as long as those in power fail to discharge their public duties and responsibilities.”
The rebels have already announced a demonstration in Chennai to condemn the State government for its alleged failure to check dengue outbreak. Another rebel leader and former minister for school education Ma Foi K Pandiarajan on Sunday said that Panneerselvam had granted his nod to the rebels to hit the streets to take on the government over public issues.Munusamy noted that the protest was being organised to make the government realise its public duties.
Referring to Edappadi K Palaniswami’s statement on party unity, Munusamy said OPS too would be on the same page if the two main conditions were met.“Our leader too cannot have second thought about the unified party if the two demands we have put forth are fulfilled,” he stated. One demand was to keep V K Sasikala’s family away from the party and the other was to order a probe into the mysterious death of late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.If these two conditions are met, then our leader would not hesitate to hold talks to facilitate the merger, Munusamy stated.Earlier, a delegation of AIADMK-PTA met the top officials of the city police seeking permission to hold the demonstration at Chepauk.
Stir postponed
The AIADMK-PTA has deferred the stir scheduled to be held in Chennai on August 10. Party sources said the demonstration would be organised on August 18 instead. However, there was no clarity on why the demonstration was put off by eight days.