Saffron party fomenting trouble between dad, son in PMK; Dravidian ally up next for gobbling up, says TNCC chief

CHENNAI: Squarely blaming the BJP for the tussle between the father and son in the PMK, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president K Selvaperunthagai on Friday said that the BJP was creating the confusion in the regional party the same way it did in the other parties it allied with (referring to other states where the saffron party broke into alliance parties).

Talking to media persons after meeting Dr Ramadoss in Thailapuram, Selvaperunthagai said, “BJP is creating the confusion. Whichever party the BJP allies with, it will split the party. They (BJP) will engulf the party. Here, they will consume the AIADMK next.”

Criticising the relatively soft reaction of the AIADMK to the denigration of Dravidian icons in the Madurai Murugan conference organised by saffron groups, the TNCC chief said, “They forged an alliance with the AIADMK and posted videos insulting Periyar and Anna. Will we (TNCC) remain in an alliance if someone denigrated our leaders, Nehru or Indira Gandhi? Will we not issue a condemnation statement and exit the alliance? Why should we engage in politics after sacrificing our leaders? Now they have sacrificed Anna.

Why has the AIADMK issued no strong statement? What is the need to stick to the BJP after all this? Why do they fear the BJP so much?”

‘AICC will decide on seats’

Reacting to a specific query on some Congress leaders in the state proposing more seats for the Congress party in the upcoming Assembly polls, the TNCC chief sought to downplay the issue and said, “You need not take the personal views of our leaders seriously. What really matters are the views of our national leadership. Even if I say something, it is not final. Only the decision of the national leadership is official and final. Individuals can express their desire, but it will neither be constructive nor final.”