AIADMK dissident leaders SPV, Natham skip EPS’s Cauvery protest against TVK-led govt, Karnataka

CHENNAI: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi Palaniswami's next move against the dissenting SP Velumani-Natham Viswanathan group, assigning them roles to lead protests against the ruling TVK government and Karnataka over the Cauvery issue outside their home turf after they wrote a letter opposing his leadership, has led to opposition from the rivals, who have decided not to take part.

Among the dissidents, former ministers SP Velumani and Natham Viswanathan have informed Edappadi K Palaniswami that they will not participate in the protests he has announced for Thursday, citing his failure to restore dissenting leaders to their earlier party posts. They have also alleged that assigning places outside their home ground was a deliberate attempt to snub them.

Palaniswami had assigned senior leaders to lead demonstrations outside their home districts. Velumani, from Coimbatore, was asked to lead the protest in Theni, while Natham Viswanathan, from Dindigul, was assigned to Ramanathapuram. Former minister KP Anbazhagan was asked to lead the protest in Ranipet and former minister Thangamani to lead the demonstration in Salem.

Palaniswami had also said senior leaders who were not upset with the party leadership would lead protests in other districts.

In their letter to Palaniswami, Velumani and Viswanathan said the decision to specifically announce the participation of senior leaders in protests outside their respective districts was deliberate. They reiterated their earlier demand that the dissenting leaders be restored to their positions before the change in party leadership.

They said Palaniswami had earlier assured them that the dissenting leaders would be restored to their previous posts, but the assurance had not been fulfilled. In these circumstances, they said they would be unable to participate in the protests he announced.

The latest development comes days after Velumani, Viswanathan and other dissenting leaders wrote to Palaniswami questioning his leadership.