AIADMK flag in Sasikala's car creates flutter, Jayakumar objects, TTV justifies

Sasikala was earlier released from Bengaluru prison on January 27 after serving a four-year jail term in view of her conviction in the DA case, but had to be in hospital, where she was admitted on January 20 due to fever and breathing problems.

As she later tested positive for corona, she was under treatment after which she was discharged today.

When she drove out of the hospital in a car, surprisingly it had the flag of the AIADMK.

Political observers view this as a possible hint that she was ready to take on the AIADMK from which she was expelled in 2017 after the merger of the two warring factions, one led by Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami and the other by former CM O Panneerselvam.

One of the key demands of Mr Panneerselvam, who had raised a banner of revolt against Sasikala in February 2017 and said he was forced to resign from the post of CM, for the merger of the two factions was that Sasikala and all those associated with her should be expelled from the party.

Sasikala was made the interim General Secretary of the AIADMK in December 2016 after the death of Jayalalithaa and she had aspired to become the CM with the AIADMK MLAs electing her as the next Legislature Party leader.

After a prolonged wait despite meeting the then Governor and staking her claim to form the government, the Supreme Court upheld her conviction in the DA case and awarded four years' jail term, shattering her CM aspirations. Subsequently, Sasikala was expelled from the AIADMK.

As she came out of the hospital today, Sasikala sprang a surprise by sporting AIADMK flag in her car.

While the AIADMK expectedly opposed it, the AMMK formed by Sasikala's nephew TTV Dhinakaran, who also announced her as the party's General Secretary, justified it saying she has the moral right to use the AIADMK flag.

Reacting to it, AIADMK spokesman and Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar opposed it saying Sasikala has no moral right to use the AIADMK flag and termed it as illegal.

'Sasikala has already been expelled from the party. She is not a member of the party at all and she has no moral right to use the flag...it is illegal', he said.

Mr Jayakumar also said she has no right to the use the name of MGR and Jayalalithaa.

However, Mr Dhinakaran, who was present when Sasikala was discharged from the hospital, justified it saying she is still the General Secretary of AIADMK and has the moral right to use the party flag.

Talking to reporters, he said though the AIADMK claim that she was expelled from the party, the matter was subjudice and a case filed by Sasikala against it was pending in the Madras High Court.

Mr Dhinakaran also said the main objective of AMMK's formation was to retrieve the AIADMK.

It may be recalled that Mr Palaniswami after meeting Prime Minister in New Delhi recently said there was 100 per cent no chance of Sasikala returning to the AIADMK.

'She (Saiskala) is not a member of the party at all.

Even when Jayalalithaa is there she is not a member of the party', he added.

'Even if she comes out of prison, there is absolutely no chance of her coming back to the AIADMK', he said in categorical terms that she was not at all in the party.

Mr Palaniswami, who is also the co-coordinator of the party, also clearly said that no changes would take place in the AIADMK in the event of her release from prison as she was not a primary member of the party.

In a related development, two functionaries of the AIADMK were expelled from the party for putting up posters welcoming the release of Sasikala from prison and hailing her in Tirunelveli and Trichy districts.

Meanwhile, DMDK Treasurer Premalatha Vijayakanth, whose party is an ally of the AIADMK, replying to a question on whether Sasikala's release would create ripples in the AIADMK, said one has to wait and see.

Premalatha had earlier said that as a woman her full support was always there for Sasikala.