Amma cracks whip amid allegations against regime

CHENNAI: In a bid to refurbish the party's image ahead of the 2016 assembly elections and send out a strong message to partymen, AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa has once again cracked the whip on errant leaders and functionaries. On Thursday, she expelled Sriperumbudur union chairman Kutty alias M C Venkatesan from the party following allegations that he had threatened executives of the Samsung factory in the industrial hub.Later in the evening, she expelled four more functionaries in Virudhunagar for anti-party activities.
The measures came in response to a chorus of allegations by the opposition. All through the week, DMK and PMK's senior leaders have railed against the government for "misrule" and "corruption". Jayalalithaa's move, likened to a mini purge within the party, has shaken the rank and file. Unlike in the past, it's not been a one-time measure.
She sacked Chennai corporation councillor K Santhanam a couple of weeks ago. She also removed agriculture minister S S Krishnamurthy from the post of district secretary and subsequently dropped him from the cabinet on allegations over appointments to government posts.
The crackdown is being perceived as an effort at image correction in the run-up to the assembly polls, which may be less than a year away. It also reflects realization about a sense of growing disquiet about widespread corruption in civic bodies and government departments under the present regime. Allegations of a mining scam have also weighed in on public sentiment.
On Thursday, after expelling the Sriperumbudur union chairman, Jayalalithaa sacked Thiruthangal MGR Manram secretary N Seenichamy, Anna trade union secretary VC Raja, municipal councilor S Duraipandian and Vinod Kannan from Sivakasi for "anti party activities". There were allegations that the four were involved in the abduction of a fireworks factory owner last week. They are likely to be booked in the case, sources said.
In statements, Jayalalithaa charged Venkatesan and others with "going against party principles and bringing disrepute" to the party's image. The former CM said, "I request party members not to have any truck with him in future". A senior leader, seeking anonymity, said, "Amma was informed by the police that Venkatesan visited the Samsung factory on Monday and demanded to know from senior staff how they constructed a new building without his knowledge. He had been demanding favours from these officials."
Police sources say the union chairman is likely to be arrested soon. "We have been investigating the issue. We haven't got a formal complaint from the company yet. If he is found guilty then he will be booked," a senior official in Kancheepuram district told TOI.
Jayalalithaa had thrown out a Chennai city corporation councillor K Santhanam, who was also chairman of the civic body's standing committee on finance and taxation, from the party's primary membership for anti-party activities. She has also expelled a few low level party functionaries for other misdemeanours. "The crackdown by our leader has increased in the last one month, especially in the wake of the on-going organizational elections. Reports on partymen working against the party's interests have been pouring in. A few incidents of cadres staging protests in front of senior leaders have also been brought to amma's knowledge," the senior leader said.
Jayalalithaa had expelled former Coimbatore former mayor SM Velusamy and former Trichy deputy mayor Mariam Ashik Meeran from the party.