OPS will strike back to end the villains, says Vaithlingam

CHENNAI: Former minister R Vaithilingam on Thursday said their leader and former chief minister O Panneerselvam would hit back like a "hero" and his single and decisive strike would down "the villain" once for all. It will happen soon.

"A hero (in movies) will take repeated beatings, but his single strike will finish off the villain. The same will happen when our leader (OPS) hits back, " said Vaithilingam while responding to a question on continuous setbacks for their camp, including the Madras High Court's interim injunction restraining OPS and his supporters from using the AIADMK flag, letter pad and symbol. He alluded to EPS and his supporters as "villians" and they would be soon defeated.

"OPS is confident to reunite the party. He wanted the party to flourish and establish Amma's government once again in the state," he said after the close door meeting with OPS at the latter's residence over the court's interim injunction. P H Manoj Pandian, J C D Prabhakhar, P Pugalenthi, A Subburathinam, and MP R Dharmar have also participated in the meeting.

Though Vaithlingam said that none can stop them from wearing AIADMK Karai Vettai, OPS stopped wearing the AIADMK Karai Vetti following the court order.

"This is the first time I saw him wearing plain vetti, " one of the OPS supporters, who attended the meeting, said. He continued that they were contemplating engaging senior most counsels of the Supreme Court to defend their case and win back their rights over the party and its symbol.

"We will take further course of action based on the outcome of the case, " he said.

He, however, responded negatively whether they explored the possibilities of floating a new party if they failed to get judicial remedy to their prolonged legal battle. "Such negative thoughts did not cross our collective consensus. We are confident of winning back our rights over the party, " he added.