Chennai: The poor performance of the AMMK in the recent elections continues to draw derisive jibes from the ruling AIADMK leaders. Senior leader and fisheries minister D. Jayakumar likened AMMK to asafoetida (perungayam) that has dissolved in the sea and said the party of TTV Dhinakaran has always been a 'letter-pad' group and never a political party.
While voicing similar views at a media interaction at Madurai, cooperation minister Sellur K. Raju said it was up to the AIADMK leadership to decide on re-admitting Dhinakaran into the party. When reporters in Thoothukudi asked a similar question, information minister Kadambur C. Raju said it was for the party's coordinators to decide on re-admitting Dhinakaran.
However, Jayakumar while welcoming all those from AMMK who had returned to the parent organisation, said "AMMK is like asafoetida that quickly dissolves in the sea… Dhinakaran's party had always been a letter-pad group and never a political party." Speaking to reporters here on Wednesday Jayakumar took a dig at Dhinakaran who had once claimed that his "sleeper cells" are in the ruling AIADMK, and said "now he says those willing to leave his AMMK (to join the AIADMK) can do so." "This only showed that Dhinakaran is not keen on running the organisation," the minister added.
P. Raveendranath pays tribute to Jaya:
Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam's son P. Raveendranath Kumar, who got elected as Member of Parliament from Theni Lok Sabha constituency, paid tributes to former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa at her memorial here on Wednesday.
He was accompanied by his father and supporters including revenue minister R.B. Udayakumar.
