No action, only talking by EPS camp, blames OPS

His statement comes in the wake of heightened expectations of unification of the two factions, with the AIADMK (Amma) giving indications in this regard.

“We have not received any official information from their camp. They are themselves just making some comments (on merger),” Panneerselvam, told reporters at Chennai airport.

Asked about the prospects of merger, he said, “We have already conveyed our decision,” apparently referring to his side’s main demand of keeping AIADMK chief VK Sasikala and her family members out of the party, as a pre-condition for merger talks.

On Amma camp’s deputy general secretary TTV Dinakaran announcing his return to active politics through a scheduled visit to the party head quarters at Chennai on Saturday (August 5), he said that the PTA faction is closely observing the situation. “After he comes we will observe what he is up to and then react,” he said. 

Talking to reporters later at the Coimbatore airport, he said he stood by his corruption allegations against the state government and added that those indulging in corruption are betraying former CMs MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa. “We strongly believe that the Income Tax (I-T) Department raids should have been conducted at Koovathur,” said the former chief minister.

The volley of charges started when OPS supporter V Maitreyan called the EPS government corrupt and not the one envisaged by Jayalalithaa earlier. Handlooms Minister OS Manian hit back and Finance Minister D Jayakumar refused to comment on Maitreyan’s statement. What added fuel to the flames was the statement of former minister and OPS supporter Shanmuganathan stating that EPS and TTV Dinakaran camps offered MLAs up to Rs 5 crore. “All MLAs were assured of this at Koovathur,” he said and added that he had also been offered such an incentive. “I am willing to prove this if an inquiry is conducted,” he added.

In the backdrop of I-T Department freezing Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar’s assets, OPS’s corruption comments drew the ire of state ministers. IT Minister M Manikandan was the most restrained in his reaction. He said, “A person, who was handpicked by former CM Jayalalithaa, should not make such wild charges. He should back his words with evidence.”

However, the gloves were off when Law Minister CVe Shanmugam told the media, “OPS has no right to talk about corruption. He should first explain his role in introducing the arrested sand mining baron Sekar Reddy to government officials.