Fair probe needed in party symbol case: TTV Dinakaran

Strongly denying that he was resorting to ‘delaying tactics’, Dinakaran said his side was only arguing that justice should not be sacrificed for the completion of the enquiry within a stipulated time frame. Charging CM Edapapadi K Palaniswami group with submitting forged documents, he said, the commission should not refrain from going into the genuineness of the documents. 

A fair verdict could not be given based on false documents, he said and added, many of the general council members had signed the documents for both the factions and hundreds of signatures in the affidavits submitted by the Chief Minister’s camp are forged. 

While expressing confidence that his faction could obtain the ‘Two Leaves’ symbol, Dinakaran said even if his opponents received the symbol, they could not succeed and added that the symbol itself would vanish. People know that the symbol belongs to AIADMK founder MGR and his successor J Jayalalithaa and they would take a final decision. 

“People’s support will be known in RK Nagar by-poll itself. I am ready to contest the election and hope that my party administrative council will announce the candidate,” he said. Citing the feud in the ruling faction over the selection of candidate for the RK Nagar seat between presidium chairman E Madhusudhanan and Fisheries minister D Jayakumar, he said, the ‘betrayers’ would not stay united for a long time. 

“They are together for the sake of power and the benefits derived out of it. The cases on the disqualification of 18 MLAs and the floor test cannot be dragged for long. The government will fall before Pongal,” he predicted. 

Dismissing the CM’s statement that his government is cordial with the Centre for state’s welfare, Dinakaran said, “There is a big difference between cordiality and slavery.” Reacting to the speech of Dairy Development Minister KT Rajenthra Bhalaji, that Modi was behind them and they would get ‘Two Leaves’ symbol, Dinakaran said, “Modi is only the PM and not the Election Commissioner of India. Like people walking through darkness sing due to fear, the ministers are saying different things,” he said.

P Vetrivel, AIADMK whip for the faction headed by sidelined AIADMK leader TTV Dinakaran, on Monday, charged Fisheries minister D Jayakumar, with acting against the interests of fishermen in Kasimedu, by helping his relatives to use motor boats with high power engines. He said Jayakumar had helped a few of his relatives to use engines made in China and this had helped them to plunder the fishing wealth in the area. He also said the boats help them to go faster than other fishermen and net all the fishes before other fishermen could reach the area. 

Vetrivel also said the boats would destroy the fishing wealth in the area and affect the livelihood of fishermen. Vetrivel said police had resorted to lathicharge against those fishermen who were protesting against Jayakumar.