Heated exchanges between father and son upsets Kalaginar; Stalin steps in to console.
Chennai: The DMK on Friday suspended party chief M. Karunanidhi’s elder son M. K. Alagiri for indulging in anti-party activities.
Shortly after Alagiri called on his father at the latter’s Gopalapuram residence, DMK general secretary K. Anbazhagan, who was asked to rush to Gopalapuram, announced the party south zone organizing secretary’s suspension from all party posts, including primary membership.
Listing out a host of reasons, specifically, the disparaging remarks Alagiri made against DMDK leader Vijayakanth, a potential ally for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls and the PCR complaint lodged against party rural district secretary by a few Alagiri loyalists, Mr Anbazhagan justified the suspension in a statement saying, “Considering that his continuance in the party would be in appropriate and it could further affect the party discipline, Alagiri is being temporarily removed from the party membership and posts.”
Later in the evening, a belligerent Karunanidhi told mediapersons that the suspension would not affect the party in any way. Party treasurer and Alagiri’s younger brother M. K. Stalin echoed similar views at the city airport before flying to Coimbatore for a party function in Salem on Saturday.
Though the father in Karunanidhi got the better of him when he added that the south zone organizing secretary post was created for Alagiri and it would not be given to anyone else, sources close to the DMK first family believe that it could be end of the road for Alagiri as Karunanidhi has already summoned party’s southern district secretaries to inform that the suspension was a well thought out decision.
Next page: MK breaks down at Alagiri’s abuse; Stalin consoles
MK breaks down at Alagiri’s abuse; Stalin consoles
Suspended DMK south zone organizing secretary M.K. Alagiri has lived up to his reputation for being an intemperate character. Alagiri was perhaps at his insolent best if one were to go by the revelations made by party insiders who had knowledge of the heated exchanges between the father and son at Gopalapuram Friday morning.
Arriving Chennai around 1.30 am by flight, Alagiri went to Gopalapuram around 8pm and argued vehemently for the next 20 minutes with his frail father-party chief about a spate of loyalists’ suspensions, which, he perceives, had undid his political career.
“So shockingly rude and abusive was Alagiri’s words that an upset kalaignar called party general secretary K. Anbazhagan, Stalin and Duraimurugan besides DK president K. Veeramani immediately after Alagiri left. As soon as Stalin entered the room, an emotionally upset Kalaginar broke down and hugged him,” a senior party leader close to the family told Deccan Chronicle.
“Though Perasiriyar, as general secretary, issued the suspension statement, every comma and full stop in it was Kalaignar’s. Such was the mood thalaivar was in,” a party leader opined understandably conceding that the PCR complaint against party district secretary in Madurai was the last straw an already provoked Anna Arivalayam could not put up with after the disturbing “no frills” TV interview with impromptu remarks against Vijayakanth.
His sudden defence of loyalists suspended for lodging PCR complaints has vindicated that all mischief committed by loyalists in the last month were at his behest, his initial disowning of some loyalists notwithstanding. Overtly advising cadres at Melur to abstain from party activity even after the rapprochement with father on Pongal eve was another costly mistake that resulted in Alagiri’s undoing.
( Source : dc )
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