SALEM: A day after senior AIADMK leader K.A. Sengottaiyan was removed from all party posts, including his primary membership, AIADMK General Secretary and former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Saturday said the decision followed six months of continuous anti-party activities by the former minister.
Addressing reporters at the AIADMK party office in Krishna Nagar, Salem, EPS said Sengottaiyan’s conduct had clearly shown he was acting as the B team of the DMK. "It was during the Athikadavu-Avinashi Project episode - a scheme launched by former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa to provide irrigation benefits to farmers that Sengottaiyan’s anti-party attitude first became evident. While 85 per cent of the project was completed under the AIADMK, the DMK government delayed the rest. When farmers organised a thanksgiving function for the project’s completion, Sengottaiyan walked out saying Amma’s picture was not displayed,” EPS said.
He pointed out that the project would benefit nearly 30 lakes in Sengottaiyan’s own Gopichettipalayam constituency, yet he failed to acknowledge the AIADMK government’s contribution. “He keeps saying he is a loyalist of Amma. If that were true, why did Amma remove him from the Cabinet? Only after I became Chief Minister was he made a minister again,” EPS said.
EPS also highlighted the double standards in Sengottaiyan’s conduct, noting that “He had no objection to attending a government bicycle distribution event where only the pictures of Karunanidhi and Stalin were displayed. He also charged, “Sengottaiyan has been acting as the B team of the DMK, and not even once has he spoken against the DMK in the Assembly.”
'Dinakaran tried to split AIADMK by taking away 18 MLAs'
Reiterating that the party remained united, EPS clarified that OPS, TTV Dhinakaran, and others were not walkouts, but were expelled through a General Council resolution for their anti-party stance.
Targeting other expelled leaders, EPS said, “O. Panneerselvam attacked the party headquarters at Royapettah. How can such people claim loyalty to the AIADMK? Recently, he and his son met Chief Minister Stalin-this clearly exposes their intentions. They are aiding the DMK, not AIADMK.”
He also criticised T.T.V. Dhinakaran, stating, “Amma herself removed him from the party. He has no right or standing to talk about AIADMK. He tried to split the party by taking away 18 MLAs. Such people can never be true to the movement.”
Concluding his remarks, EPS said Sengottaiyan had been behaving like a ‘Little King’ in his area, and his expulsion had been received positively by party cadres in Gopichettipalayam. “Those in his area are celebrating his expulsion, which shows how he behaved within the organisation,” he said.
