CHENNAI: Though it was strongly rumoured that all is not well between AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniwami and one of its senior most leaders and former minister KA Sengottaiyan, the turn of events since Friday has made the existence of a rift or misunderstanding between the two.
Sengottaiyan skipped the meeting of party MLAs ahead of the budget session on Friday morning, raising eyebrows. When EPS and other MLAs of the AIADMK were on their feet raising slogans against the government as Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu began his budget speech on Friday, Sengottaiyan remained seated. Later when the MLAs staged a walkout, a tinge of reluctance was palpable in the way Sengottaiyan walked out.
What added fuel to the fire was the way EPS reacted when reporters asked him about the absence of Sengottaiyan at the MLAs’ meeting. The former CM, who looked agitated, asked the reporters, in turn, to pose the question to Sengottaiyan. “Go and ask him. This is not the place to ask,” he said, adding that it was not the place to discuss private matters.
In his veiled criticism of the media providing undue importance to his absence at the wedding ceremony of former minister SP Velumani’s son, EPS said AIADMK functionaries and cadre had the freedom to meet anyone anywhere. He added that his party did not practise the dynastic politics of the DMK, switching immediately to attacking the ruling party. “Our only enemy is the DMK,” he said.
With Sengottaiyan meeting Speaker M Appavu on Saturday morning becoming another point of speculation, the 77-year-old MLA of Gobichettipalayam, talking to the media later, clarified that the meeting was about an environmental issue in his constituency and pointed out that it is common for MLAs to meet the Speaker for moving any call attention motions regarding their constituency.
However, speaking at an event of a media outlet in the evening, Sengottaiyan, in a cryptic comment, said he was acting as a cadre of the AIADMK and that he was going in the right direction. It is noteworthy that posters had been put up in Erode, condemning his participation at the event, alleging that the media outlet was associated with the BJP.
Former minister and AIADMK functionary Vaigai Selva told reporters in Kancheepuram that it was “indecent” of Sengottaiyan to discuss in public any issues he had with EPS.
