Tamil Nadu political turmoil: More join Panneerselvam, Sasikala lashes out
CHENNAI: Six senior leaders — school education minister “'MaFoi” K. Pandiarajan, three MPs and spokesman C. Ponnaiyan — on Saturday extended support to Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, while AIADMK general secretary V.K. Sasikala warned of a “different kind of protest” since her “patience has run out”.
Stung by the OPS team gaining more traction with four LS MPs — P.R. Sundaram, K. Ashok Kumar, V. Sathyabama and Vanaroja — extending their support, Ms Sasikala met legislators lodged at the Golden Bay resort in Kuvathur and expressed confidence that she has the numbers.
After Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao did not respond to her letter seeking an appointment to parade her legislators, Ms Sasikala issued a veiled warning to the Centre and the constitutional head of the state accusing them of delaying the government formation only to “split the AIADMK”. “We have been patient till today and we will protest in a different way from tomorrow,” she said.
Police question Sasikala MLAs
Kancheepuram district administration and police on Saturday morning inspected the Golden Bay resorts in Kuvathur and village retreat resort in Mahabalipuram where a good number of AIADMK MLAs, reportedly belonging to Sasikala camp, are staying. The officers interacted with all of them to know whether they were forced to stay at the resort or were there at their own will.
A team consisting of Cheyyur tahsildar Ramachandran and additional superintendent of police Tamil Selvan visited the resorts, where the MLAs, are staying since Wednesday night, from 6.30 am on Saturday.
“We visited the resort and took statements from MLAs staying there. We are supposed to submit a detailed report to the court by Monday. We are preparing the report,” one of the officials part of the inspecting team said.
It may be noted that over dozen MLAs staying in Golden Bay resort had told the media on Friday that they were not confined there. Police and district administration were asked to interact with the legislators staying in the two resorts to file a report in the court by February 13.
When a petition, regarding the whereabouts of MLAs, came up for hearing on Friday at the high court, public prosecutor had asked time till Monday to find out where about of the legislators and to submit report.
By Saturday evening, after AIADMK general secretary visited the MLAs staying at the Kuvathur resort, additional police force were deployed in the area. Meanwhile, security has been beefed up in the city with intensified patrolling and checking of places of accommodation to prevent anti-social elements from creating any law and order issues, police said.
The measures come at a time when political uncertainty has gripped the state following Chief Minister Panneerselvam’s revolt against AIADMK chief V.K. Sasikala.
