OPS plans appeal but adheres to HC order on using AIADMK name, flag, symbol

Chennai: Former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, who was recently told by the Madras High Court to not use the AIADMK flag, name and symbol, abided by the order by turning up in a dhoti without the customary black, white and red border as he returned to Chennai on Wednesday night after a week-long sojourn in Singapore.

Even his car that took him home from the airport did not fly the regular AIADMK flag fluttering from the bonnet though it had an image of J Jayalalithaa placed above the dashboard. Most of his supporters who had gathered at the airport to welcome him too had shunned dhotis with AIADMK colours.

The supporters, who also did not carry the AIADMK flags that they normally bring along with them to see him off or receive him at the airport, said that they would appeal against the High Court order, barring their use of the flag, symbol and party name, when their leader was away in Singapore.

The normal set of slogans raised in such occasions at the airport were different on Wednesday night as they only hailed Panneerselvam and not Jayalalithaa or AIADMK.

This was perhaps the first time Panneerselvam was spotted in public in a dhoti with a broad regular border and his car did not fly the party flag after he came to limelight in 2001 by becoming the Chief Minister after Jayalalithaa was forced step down from office following a conviction in a case.

Though that term as Chief Minister came to an end in six months after Jayalalithaa’s conviction was overturned by the court, he continued to be a top leader of the AIADMK, always flying the party flag in the vehicles that he travelled.

On Thursday evening, Panneerselvam supporters met at his house in Greenways Road for a meeting to discuss the future course of action but arrived at the venue in vehicles without the regular AIADMK flags.