The much-awaited meeting of the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s executive committee began its deliberations at the party headquarters in Chennai on Monday morning.
Presided over by chairman of the party presidium E. Madhusudananan, the committee is holding its meeting about 10 days after an intense exchange of words between two camps of the party – one led by Chief Minister and co-coordinator of the party Edappadi K. Palaniswami and the other led by Deputy Chief Minister and coordinator, O. Panneerselvam, at a meeting of senior functionaries of the organisation.
The day’s meeting is being attended by a host of Ministers, senior office-bearers and members of the party, numbering around 300. As many as 15 members of the committee were said to have tested COVID-19 positive and they have not made it to the meeting. Both Mr. Palaniswami and Mr. Panneerselvam are taking part in the meeting, which began at 10 am.
15 resolutions passed
A total of 15 resolutions have been adopted by the executive, with one of the prominent ones calling to the party volunteers to work in a “coordinated manner and unitedly” for the success of the party [during the forthcoming Assembly elections] and for the return of the “Puratchi Thalaivar MGR [former Chief Minister M. G Ramachandran] -- Puratchi Thalaivar Amma [former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa]’s golden rule.”
The text of the resolution has been worded in such a manner that it has allusion to former interim general secretary V.K. Sasikala. It says: “Some individuals, for their selfish gains and progress of people belonging to them, may have used the party as an instrument, by remaining in and out of the organisation. But, the party, which has been like a millennial crop and a banyan tree that has provided support to all, has been in the safe hands of selfless workers.”
Two-language formula
The party, through another resolution, reiterated its stand on the two-language formula and stated that it was against the imposition of any language, while being not against any language. On the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to courses in medicine, it called upon the Central government to abolish the NEET system and condemned the DMK and its allies for their “duplicity” over the issue.
Several other resolutions commended the State government generally, the Chief Minister in particular, on a number of matters such as the way the COVID-19 crisis has been handled. In the first resolution, which pertains to COVID-19 management, the Deputy Chief Minister too, along with Mr. Palaniswami, has been lauded by the party.
Urging the Centre to re-constitute a committee on culture of the country by including representations of scholars from south India, especially those from Tamil Nadu, the party renewed its demand for the retrieval of the Katchatheevu islet and safeguarding the interests of Sri Lankan Tamils.