After its General Council members urged action to eject him from the organisation, the AIADMK on Monday pledged to take efforts to ease rival leader and party treasurer O Panneerselvam (OPS) out of the organisation.
Senior leader Natham Viswanathan attacked Mr. Panneerselvam in his speech to the General Council, saying that despite his reputation as a "calm person," he had a "brutal face."
Former minister Mr. Viswanathan claimed that Mr. Panneerselvam consistently stated one thing while acting in direct opposition to it. He claimed there should be no connections with Mr. Panneerselvam at all since he always kept what he desired to himself and said something wholly different to the outside world, quoting the lyrics of the reforming saint Vallalar from the 19th century.
The general council members then yelled at Mr. Panneerselvam and demanded that something be done about him. Senior leader KP Munusamy snatched the microphone away from Mr. Viswanathan as he tried to reassure them that action would be taken.
Munusamy said: "You are members of the General Council. You demand that he (OPS) should be expelled from the party. You represent 1.5 crore party members. The representation you have made here will be reflected in a resolution and it will be moved by our (Interim) General Secretary. Please wait till then." AIADMK veteran and former minister Dindigul C Srinivasan dubbed OPS as a 'betrayer' and demanded the ouster of Panneerselvam and his supporters from the party.
Dindigul C. Srinivasan, a veteran of the AIADMK and a former minister, referred to OPS as a "betrayer" and urged that Mr. Panneerselvam and his allies be expelled from the party.Edappady K. Palaniswami has already been chosen as the AIADMK's interim general secretary during the General Council meeting.
Edappady K. Palaniswami had already been chosen as the AIADMK's interim general secretary at the GC meeting.