Chennai: Senior AIADMK leader ‘Panruti’ S. Ramachandran on Tuesday rejected allegations that the centre is indirectly opposing the swearing-in of AIADMK general secretary V.K. Sasikala and added that it would be considered so only if Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao refused to hold the swearing-in ceremony for her after she makes such a request.
Speaking to the media at the AIADMK headquarters here, Ramachandran, who was accompanied by former minister K.A. Sengottaiyan, said the Governor had accepted the resignation of Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam and he should come to Chennai for the swearing-in of Sasikala. The AIADMK is waiting for his arrival, he added.
Reacting to the allegations of former Speaker P. H. Pandian, he said post is the first priority for Pandian and he is accusing that Jayalalithaa had been poisoned. “Only a doctor can say that Jayalalithaa was poisoned and no doctor had said so”.
Denying the remarks of Pandian that the general council has no powers to nominate Sasikala as general secretary, Ramachandran said there was no sufficient time for electing a general secretary and so the general council nominated her. He also charged Pandian with being the reason for the disproportionate wealth case against Jayalalithaa.
Sengottaiyan asserted that Pandian had done nothing for the AIADMK. “We have all the powers to decide who should be given the power. He should have aired his views in the general council meeting and why is he conveying the views outside. I am ready to debate the issue with him. He is the reason for creating confusion when AIADMK founder MGR died. He prevented the AIADMK led by Jayalalithaa from getting the 'two leaves' symbol. No power on earth could stop Sasikala from becoming the Chief Minister. We have decided an auspicious day for her swearing-in ceremony”.
