SC order, relief to camp OPS

CHENNAI: Supporters of AIADMK leader and former chief minister O Panneerselvam see the Supreme Court’s direction to take a fresh decision and reconsider the plea of OPS challenging the party general council meeting and the status quo for three weeks as a major relief for them.

“This means team Edappadi K Palaniswami cannot take steps to hold the general elections to the post of general secretary until the matter is legally settled by the Court,” a former AIADMK MLA said.

Jubilant OPS told reporters that Dharmam (Justice) will triumph and did not elaborate on the court verdict. Earlier in the day, OPS called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Chennai airport.

Chief Minister MK Stalin and OPS gave a send-off to the PM who was on a two-day trip to Chennai for the Chess Olympiad inaugural.

When asked whether he discussed politics with the PM, OPS evaded the query, but hinted that the brief meeting was a bonhomie between them. OPS also chose not to comment on the Supreme Court direction related to the recent AIADMK general council meeting.

Former AIADMK IT wing secretary Aspire K Swaminathan tweeted the apex court direction as a major setback for EPS stating that the interim general secretary cannot go ahead with the general secretary polls as the SC had ordered status quo. “It must be borne in mind that several orders “to maintain status quo till orders” are pending for several years. So, an amicable discussion between the parties and resolving the issues at the hand is the only way forward keeping larger interests in mind,” tweeted Swaminathan.

AIADMK leader and advocate IS Inbadurai said that the OPS faction wanted an interim stay for the developments in AIADMK for which the court has not consented. We will present our case and its merits before the Madras High Court, he said.

Dharma will triumph, says Panneerselvam

After the SC verdict, deposed leader O Panneerselvam on Friday exuded confidence that ‘Dharma will triumph’ in his ongoing legal battle with Edappadi K Palaniswami, the AIADMK’s interim general secretary. After seeing off Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the airport here, OPS quoted a popular Tamil verse which could be translated as: “Dharma may be engulfed by a cunning ploy, but Dharma will eventually win.”