AIADMK and TTV Dhinakaran lock horns over massive crowds that greeted Sasikala

Two days after a massive roadshow of former AIADMK General Secretary VK Sasikala, AIADMK and AMMK leaders locked horns over the massive crowds that lined the streets of Tamil Nadu as Sasikala was making her way back from Bengaluru to Chennai on Wednesday. While Fisheries Minister Jayakumar alleged that the people were paid money to welcome Sasikala, AMMK founder TTV Dhinakaran said they were all true followers of ‘Amma’.  

In a statement to the party cadre, AMMK founder TTV Dhinakaran on Wednesday said, “I have never seen such a grand reception throughout the way for such a long hour till now despite the pressures and restrictions applied by the ruling party. How did this happen?  I’m being asked— how lakhs of people gathered but there was no violence and everything took place like with military control. How I created this magic when several leaders thought that the crowd was gathered only to incite violence and to damage public property as a show of strength. The only answer for this is you who are the true followers of Amma,” TTV Dhinakaran said referring to the petition given by AIADMK Ministers to DGP JK Tripathy.

On Saturday, Tamil Nadu Ministers met DGP JK Tripathy alleging that AMMK leader TTV Dhinakaran and VK Sasikala were planning to incite violence in order to disrupt the law and order situation in the state.

After the press meet on Saturday, AIADMK members did not immediately comment on the return of Sasikala and ministers were also seen to be nervous and reluctant when questioned about the former AIADMK leader. However, breaking the silence, Minister Jayakumar on Wednesday said that they (Dhinakaran and Sasikala) organised people with money but the roadshow will be forgotten soon.

Jayakumar said, “Former Chief Ministers MG Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa successfully established themselves in the movie industry and sacrificed their lives by working for the people. This is the history of the big leaders but you cannot become a leader within one day by just creating magic.”

“The event will be like a passing cloud and they (AMMK) have organized people by paying money,” he said.