Chennai: Ruling AIADMK on Tuesday issued a gag order to all its 'television stars', who have been hyper-active in prime-time debates. They are barred from participating in television shows as the party is now involved in the process of constituting a team of spokespersons to represent the party.
Sources said the decision to issue a gag order was taken after it was brought to the notice of the party high command that those representing the AIADMK often “speak out of turn” and sometimes even contradicting the official party line. Several self-appointed spokespersons, mostly leaders of AIADMK, began representing the party after Jayalalithaa's demise last year in television debates.
In a joint statement, AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam and joint coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami said a new committee would be formed very soon to represent the party on television debates. “Only those appointed to the committee would participate in the debates as official representatives of the party and defend the party on several issues and propagate the good work of Puratchi Thalaivi Amma's government. The names would be announced soon”, Panneerselvam and Palaniswami said in the statement.
“Only after the constitution of the committee, those present in the committee will participate in debates on television channels,” they said in the statement. The sources also said a new committee was the need of the hour since many appointed to represent the party by late Jayalalithaa have either left the party or aligned with rebel leader TTV Dhinakaran.
AIADMK was the first regional political party in Tamil Nadu to constitute a committee of media panelists to represent the party in television debates under Jayalalithaa in 2016. After retaining power in May 2016, she had expanded the panel to include Rajya Sabha MP S R Balasubramanian and Tamil Development Minister 'MaFoi' K Pandiarajan.
Sources said the new members would be briefed about the party's line so that the AIADMK does not stoke any controversy on political issues.
