Chennai/Coimbatore: Hours after senior AIADMK leader M Thambidurai appealed to the newly appointed party general secretary V K Sasikala to become the Chief Minister, DMK treasurer M K Stalin slammed him for "sycophancy."
The DMK leader, who is also the leader of Opposition in the Assembly, alleged that Thambidurai "sacrificed" constitutional ethos by making the appeal on his official letter pad that denoted the Office of the Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha, which is "very shameful."
"Thambidurai's statement that 'Sasikala should become the Chief Minister' is out and out an act of sycophancy and constitutional ethos have been sacrificed by use of his official letter-head," Stalin said in a statement.
"Just in case, if Thambidurai is in a situation that warranted him to demonstrate his loyalty to AIADMK, let him resign from his post of the Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker and give as many statements as he desires," he said.
The AIADMK leader should not use his Constitutional office to further his political task, Stalin said.
Referring to a host of state ministers urging Sasikala to become the Chief Minister within a few weeks of Panneerselvam taking over the reins of Tamil Nadu, he cited the concept of collective cabinet responsibility and said such activities undermined the office of the Chief Minister.
Stalin said Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao should ask Chief Minister O Panneerselvam to prove his majority on the floor of the House.
Meanwhile, when asked by reporters at Coimbatore airport, Thambidurai declined to respond to Stalin's comments.
On DMK leader's remarks that Chief Minister O Paneerselvam has to react to demands made by his ministers and senior AIADMK functionaries on the need for Sasikala to take over the chief ministership, Thambidurai said, "Opposition parties will always speak like that."
He reiterated that as a loyal AIADMK worker he has appealed to the party general secretary, Sasikala to take over the Chief Ministership, as she was the only person capable of fulfilling the dreams and plans of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.
