Thiagarajan blames Alagiri for suspension

Suspended south Chennai district Congress president Karate Thiagarajan has squarely blamed Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president KS Alagiri for the disciplinary action initiated against him by the party national high command.

Hitting out at Alagiri, who is also a supporter of his factional boss P Chidambaram, Thiagarajan said the TNCC chief had blamed it on the DMK, which was not true. “He told me that DMK had exerted pressure on AICC to suspend me. I inquired through my contacts in the DMK. It is not true. Alagiri had sent a letter recommending my suspension through Gopanna to AICC. He used the DMK to cover up his role,” Thiagarajan told DT Next, a few days after he had claimed that the AICC had not consulted Alagiri on the issue.

Asked if former union finance minister P Chidambaram was not privy to the development, Thiagarajan said, “Alagiri misled Chidambaram into believing that he was not consulted. He has lied to our leader.” On expressing views which disturbed ally DMK, he said, “I was not the only person who spoke on seat sharing during the meeting in Sathyamurthy Bhavan. Nearly 20 people spoke like me. If Alagiri did not like it, he could have expressed it in the meeting itself. Why was he silent?”

“Even after Alagiri’s gag order, Vijayadharani had lauded (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi’s speech in a TV debate. What action was initiated against her?” Thiagarajan added, threatening to lodge police complaint against media wing head A Gopanna for ‘selling’ media passes during Rahul Gandhi’s visit to the city earlier.

Meanwhile, Alagiri clarified that he was not opposed to any person (in the party) and his job was uniting everyone.

Curiously, Chidambaram posted a Tweet late on Saturday, advising Thiagarajan to meet Alagiri in person and express regret. “I don’t subscribe to the views expressed by Thiagarajan recently. It is detrimental to the DMK-Congress ties. It is unacceptable. I have advised him (Thiagarajan) to meet Alagiri and express regret,” Chidambaram Tweeted, shattering the hopes of Thiagarajan who hoped that his ‘leader’ would back him on the issue.

Congress insiders in the know revealed that his statement has snowballed into an alliance issue. “It has started straining our ties with the DMK. Hence, the swift reaction from AICC,” a Congress senior requesting anonymity remarked.