O Panneerselvam revolts against Sasikala

In an obvious reference to the AIADMK general secretary and her coterie, Chief Minister Pannerselvam said that even as he was busy coordinating with various agencies over cleaning up the oil spill off Ennore coast last week, his party legislators were plotting behind his back to replace him with Sasikala as the Chief Minister.  

“When I came to know of it, I had asked our legislators on what was the urgency behind making such a decision. But I was told to follow the directions in the interest of the party and the state government,” O Pannerselvam said in a surprise press meet held at the Marina Beach late on Tuesday. 

“But my conscience did not allow me to do so. Only a person who has the approval of all AIADMK party cadre can be the general secretary and the Chief Minister should be the one who has the approval of people of Tamil Nadu. So I prayed to our beloved Amma and decided to speak out. I was forced to resign,” Chief Minister O Pannerselvam said.  

Elaborating on the chain of events that unfolded following Jayalalithaa’s admission at the Apollo Hospitals on September 22, OPS said that he was summoned by ‘them’ during the last days of Jayalalithaa and asked to take over as the party’s general secretary and Chief Minister. 

‘Even then, I told them that what was the necessity for such a move as our honourable Chief Minister was still alive. But, I was told that in the event of any eventuality, an acceptable leader should be made as Chief Minister and general secretary and that I should step and shoulder the responsibility. 

So I did it,” Panneerselvam said.  Following Jayalalithaa’s death, OPS said that was elected as Chief Minister and performed his duties in a manner that befitted his beloved leader and tackled one crisis after another like cyclone Vardah and water scarcity etc. 

“Even as I was busy negotiating with the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu for securing water for TN, my cabinet minister RB Udayakumar went on record demanding that Sasikala should be made CM,” he said.  

After news regarding RB Udayakumar statement broke, another cabinet minister Sellur Raja approached OPS and asked him why his minister went on to make such an irresponsible statement. “But, a day later I came to know that the same minister went to his native and made the same statement. The governor called me and asked what was going on with my ministers. It pained me,” he said.  

At around 9 pm, the Chief Minister who was on his way home from the Secretariat, halted his convoy at the MGR Memorial on Marina Beach and sat cross-legged in front of Jayalalithaa’s memorial with his eyes closed in ‘penance’ for about 30 minutes before returning home.  Even the Chief Minister’s security convey and his close associates were caught unawares when OPS suddenly asked them to take a detour and sat still before his leader’s memorial. 

Evening walkers and other visitors at the beach who were initially unaware of the state CM sitting in meditation went about their business as usual until TV channels flashed the news and crowds began to gather.  By around 9.40 pm, the CM ended his meditation and met the press. “I decided to come out as amma’s spirit has forced me to come out with the truth.

There should be a detailed investigation into the circumstances which led to the hospitalisation of late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, former speaker and AIADMK leader PH Pandian told the media on Tuesday.Stating that there was an altercation at Poes Garden on the night the late CM was hospitalised, Pandian said, “Jayalalithaa was pushed to the ground and nobody helped her.” He added that the circumstances leading to her ailment should be investigated.  There was no need for a post mortem, Pandian said.

In an attempt to counter the shocking allegations made by former Assembly speaker and AIADMK leader PH Pandian and his son Manoj Pandian, veteran AIADMK leaders Panruti Ramachandran and KA Sengottayan said that PH Pandian had no locus standi to pass comments on the AIADMK or VK Sasikala. “Even if they had doubts regarding the death of Jayalalithaa, the forum to clear doubts was either the party general council meeting or in the state Assembly and not in a public forum. This move was just to confuse the people as what they told the media was contrary to the truth,” Sengottayan said.