Post decree, AIADMK leaders slam Modi

The internal fissure in the ruling AIADMK came to the fore as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was seen, by a section close to party general secretary V K Sasikaka, as bailing out a beleaguered Chief Minister O Panneerselvam on the Jallikattu issue.

A section of the AIADMK,  led by Panneerselvam’s arch rival Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai, openly attacked Modi for ‘ignoring’ the state on a number of issues raised with him and his government, just before the governor promulgated the ordinance.

Thambidurai also led a delegation of party MPs to President Pranab Mukherjee, after which he warned the Centre that if it continues to ‘ignore’ the regional aspirations and interests of the people of Tamil Nadu, it will have dangerous implications.

Thambidurai, who represents an influential section of the party, wants Sasikala to take over as the chief minister. The Jallikattu crisis was seen as an opportunity by this group to ease out Panneerselvam and ask Sasikala to take charge, AIADMK sources said.

What took this group by surprise was that Modi sought to provide all assistance to defuse the crisis caused by crowds refusing to leave Chennai’s Marina Beach till an ordinance was promulgated to allow bull fighting.

Not only did Modi moot the idea of a state ordinance, he got officials of three Central ministries to help in drafting it. Attorney General Mukul Rohtagi was instructed to ask the Supreme Court not to pass any order on the issue till the crisis was defused.

Thambidurai irked
Thambidurai was peeved with Modi for refusing to grant him an audience along with Panneerselvam on January 19 as well as on an earlier occasion when the chief minister had called on the prime minister in December.

As it became clear that Modi would only deal only with Panneerselvam when it came to resolving state issues, Thambidurai tried to force the chief minister to cancel his appointment with the prime minister.

Last month, Thambidurai sought to meet Modi by travelling with Panneerselvam in the same car to the prime minister’s residence. But PMO officials made it clear that the appointment was only for Panneerselvam and AIADMK leader in the Rajya Sabha A Navaneethakrishnan. Panneerselvam conveyed to Modi that Thambidurai wanted to submit a memorandum and was waiting in the reception office of the prime minister’s residence.

To this, the prime minister asked Navaneethakrishnan to bring the memorandum from Thambidurai.
DH News Service