'Prize given by justice': OPS camp on Dhinakaran's arrest; EPS camp mum

Chennai: AIADMK Amma camp senior leader R Vaithilingam today declined to comment on the arrest of party deputy general secretary TTV Dhinakaran on charges of attempting to bribe Election Commission officials.

Vaithilingam, who is steering the negotiations with O Panneerselvam-led side to facilitate the merger of the two rival factions, declined to answer when reporters sought his reaction to the arrest of Dhinakaran by Delhi police.

The camp led by Chief Minister K Palanisamy has recently revolted against Dhinakaran and party chief VK Sasikala and decided to keep them away from the party.

C Ponnaiyan of Panneerselvam camp, which has been demanding expulsion of Sasikala and Dhinakaran, said the arrest was the prize given by "justice" for adopting a "wrong, illegal approach."

Amma camp leader and Dhinakaran loyalist Nanjil Sampath said "we guessed that Dhinakaran will be arrested the moment Panneerselvam said that a good ambience was evolving for holding talks."

Tamil Nadu Congress Committee Su Thirunavukkarasu said it was not known why Dhinakaran was being interrogated (for days together by Delhi police) as if he had been involved in a "big allegation like one related to a conspiracy against the country."

BJP Tamil Nadu unit president Tamilisai Soundararajan said in her party's regime anybody who was accused of wrongdoing will be brought to book irrespective of whether he was a politician or an official.