None stopped us from Melur meet, say absent legislators

Dinakaran had on Wednesday said that while 21 MLAs were present along with six MPs on stage, other legislators who wanted to attend his meeting were prevented by the EPS group who allegedly made them wait at the Lloyd’s road party headquarters.

He had also alleged that the MLAs were told that no development work would be taken up in their constituencies if they attended the meeting.

Three legislators Tirupurankundram’s AK Bose, P Neethipathi of Usilampatti and Melur’s P Selvan alias Periapullan refuted Dinakaran’s allegations.

Bose had even refused to take up the party post offered to him by Dinakaran a week ago before being finally persuaded to do so. He had said that he could not take up the post as he was unwell and it is the same reason that he had for not attending the Melur meeting. Meanwhile, Neethipathi stated that he was under treatment for acute diabetes and hence was unable to attend. Stating that he belonged to the AIADMK, he said “Former chief minister O Panneerselvam, CM EPS and TTV Dinakaran are all state leaders and I respect them.”

Periapullan said that he did not turn up at the meeting as state ministers RB Udayakumar and Sellur K Raju and MLA Rajan Chellappa were all in the EPS camp. He added, “All party cadres want EPS to be the chief minister and Dinakaran to run the party.”