‘Opposition parties maligning party decision online’

These parties were raising such demand when Jayalalithaa’s earlier actions have been suggestive of her seeing Sasikala as political heir, senior AIADMK leader and its spokesperson C Ponnaiyan said. “DMK leader MK Stalin and PMK founder S Ramadoss, both of whom had sought a white paper on Thursday, did not belong to our party,” he told reporters. “They are playing politics in Tamil Nadu. Doctors monitored Amma (Jayalalithaa). Specialists from Apollo Hospitals (where she was admitted), AIIMS doctors, Dr Richard Beale from London and those from Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore worked as a team,” he said. 

“Ramadoss is not the one who doesn’t know it, Opposition Leader Stalin is not the one who is not aware of it.” Such demands are coming amid growing chorus for Sasikala to take over the reins of the party, he said. There is no need to give credence to such demands for white paper, he said. Party seniors including Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, AIADMK Propaganda Secretary and Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai and a host of Ministers have already extended support to Sasikala’s elevation as General Secretary, a post held by Jayalalithaa till her death. 

Ponnaiyan, speaking outside the Poes Garden residence where the late AIADMK supremo’s “13th day” of her death was observed, showed a purported 1991 investment document of the former Chief Minister, wherein, he said, Jayalalithaa had mentioned Sasikala as the “nominee” in it. Jayalalithaa had made an investment of Rs seven lakh with a private firm and had mentioned her close confidante as “nominee” and “this can be suggested to show that she saw her (Sasikala) as her political heir then itself,” Ponnaiyan asserted. “...there are no differences in the party and there are unanimous voices that Sasikala is the conscience of Amma, much like she (Jayalalithaa) was the conscience of MGR,” he said. He charged the opposition parties with carrying out an online campaign against Sasikala. Sasikala may not have responded to the calls to take over leadership of AIADMK but pleas in this regard keep mounting, Ponnaiyan said. 

On Friday’s congregation of party MLAs and Ministers at Poes Garden, he said they had come to pay condolences at Jayalalithaa’s “13th day” ceremony following her demise on December 5. Meanwhile, in Tiruchy at the Ammamandapam bathing ghat, AIADMK cadre performed Navagraha homam and Shanti homam for the departed soul of their leader. They gave 21 varieties of gifts including grains, gold, silver, hand fans, mattress, paddy and black sesame. 

“We have orgainsed Annadhanam for around 500 people in Srirangam. We prayed for the soul to rest in peace,” said Diamond Thirupathi, Srirangam branch secretary of the party.