Sasikala-flag row: AIADMK files complaint

CHENNAI: In yet another turn of events ahead of VK Sasikala’s return to Tamil Nadu, the ruling AIADMK on Thursday approached the State Police to prevent her from using the party flag during her travel into the State.

AIADMK presidium chairman, E Madhusudanan, accompanied by senior ministers, CVe Shanmugam and D Jayakumar, and the party’s deputy coordinators, KP Munusamy and R Vaithilingam, visited the DGP’s office on Thursday and lodged a complaint. 

Speaking to reporters, Munusamy said Sasikala had used the AIADMK flag when she was discharged after Covid treatment from a Bengaluru hospital. He added that Sasikala had no moral rights to use that flag since it could only be used by AIADMK functionaries and cadre. “To prevent a recurrence of such usage by her, our presidium chairman has filed this complaint,” said Munusamy.

SASIKALA TO RETURN ON FEB 8

“Through our petition filed before the police, we have conveyed to Sasikala that she should not be using the flag anymore,” Munusamy said. When asked whether Sasikala had been officially removed from the AIADMK, and if a party law forbids others from using its flag, Munusamy said, “Sasikala Natarajan is not a member of the AIADMK. As such, why should we remove her from the party when she has failed to renew her membership once every five years like every other cadre.

There arises no question of removing her from the party at all.” Tracing the turn of events that followed the death of former CM J Jayalalithaa in December 2016, Law Minister, CVe Shanmugam said: “Following split of the party after Amma’s death, party presidium chairman, E Madhusudanan, had filed a petition before the Election Commission that appointment of Sasikala as interim general secretary and TTV Dhinakaran as deputy general secretary was invalid.” He added: “Later in the interest of the party, O Panneerselvam and Edappadi K Palaniswami together faced the case before the EC, which ruled in our favour in November 2017.”

The matter was taken up to the SC, wherein Dhinakaran recused himself from the petition saying he had nothing to do with AIADMK, and launched another party. The apex court, in its decision, rejected Sasikala’s petition. “Even after this, Sasikala filed a review petition before the SC which was again rejected. Hereafter, only a curative petition can be filed, which she has not filed. So, if Sasikala wants to pursue this case even beyond the Supreme Court, she can only approach the United Nations or conduct a Kangaroo court in Mannargudi,” Shanmugam quipped.

Meanwhile, a petition was submitted to Vellore Collector, A Shanmuga Sundram, by the AMMK, seeking permission to give grand reception to Sasikala, by showering flowers from a helicopter at Kuthambakkam in the district. TTV Dhinakaran, on Thursday said that Sasikala would start from Bengaluru on February 8, instead of February 7, as scheduled earlier. Coincidentally, Chief Minister Palaniswami is scheduled to hold an election campaign in Vellore on the same date.