EC moved to prevent AMMK from using AIADMK party flag

Chennai: The AIADMK has sought the Election Commission to restrain T. T. V. Dhinakaran's AMMK from using the flag that has close semblances to the AIADMK flag and also the picture of late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa on its flag.

Taking strong exception to the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) from using a flag that closely resembles the ruling party's flag, law minister C.Ve. Shanmugam said he submitted a memorandum to the Election Commission authorities on Tuesday urging them to prevent the AMMK from using the flag that resembled the AIADMK's flag. The AMMK workers are using the colours of the AIADMK's flag as borders in their dhotis, the law minister told reporters in Delhi after petitioning the EC.

The AIADMK flag has red, white colours (used for the image of first chief minister of the state C. N. Annadurai in the centre) and black, while AMMK uses the same colour combination with the picture of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa in the centre.

“AMMK leader Dhinakaran had given an assurance to the Supreme Court that he would not stake a claim in the AIADMK. But in stark contrast, his party is using a look-alike flag and 'Amma's picture,” Mr Shanmugam said and added, “we strongly condemn this, particularly AMMK workers using AIADMK party flag on their dhotis.”

The minister's meeting with the poll panel officials comes on a day Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker P. Dhanapal issued notices to three AIADMK MLAs: A. Prabha (representing Kallakurichi Assembly constituency), V. T. Kalaiselvan (Vriddhachalam) and R. Rathinasabapathy (Aranthangi) for extending support to Dhinakaran. Contending that they were indulging in anti-party activities, Government whip S. Rajendran, had sought the Speaker P. Dhanapal to take action on them.

Meanwhile denying that his party had used the colour combination of the AIADMK flag, Dhinakaran told reporters that the AMMK used the image of former CM Jayalalithaa.