A joint statement issued by them said Paneeerselvam would address a meeting at Tambaram, while Palaniswami would speak at Tiruvallur. Hailing the anti-Hindi agitation in 1965, the leaders described it as an unprecedented revolution and said paying tribute to the martyrs should be the duty of everyone.

He said the students’ wing of the party would organise the meetings throughout the state to pay homage to those who sacrificed their lives to protect Tamil. The leaders also released a list of ministers, senior leaders, Parliament and Assembly members who would take part in the meetings at various places across the state.

Moving forward on the crackdown on cadre supporting rebel leader TTV Dinakaran, the leaders also announced the removal of about 500 party functionaries from Salem and Thanjavur districts.

Those expelled from the party from Salem included former MLAs SK Selvam and P Saroja, besides functionaries of advocates wing, youth wing, IT wing, farmers’ wing, fishermen wing, MGR youth wing, town panchayat and union panchayat level functionaries. 

In Thanjavur, about 400 functionaries, including state agriculture wing secretary Durai Govindarajan, district presidium chairman, general council members besides members of various wings and functionaries at the town panchayat and union panchayat level were removed.