Ministers will celebrate Pongal at home: TTV Dinakaran

Inaugurating the AIADMK (Amma) faction’s celebrations of the party’s founding day on Tuesday, nearly a week after the ruling dispensation started their celebrations, Dinakaran hit out at Edappadi K Palaniswami’s government for not keeping the usury menace in check, which led to the suicide of a family in Tirunelveli. “Amma (Jayalalithaa) strongly reined in the usury menace through stern measures. But, the present government is concerned only on hanging on to power. People wanted the government to go and it will fall by December.” 

Hitting at the merger of the Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam’s group with the ruling camp, Dinakaran called it a “commercial contract.” 

“There is nothing heartfelt in it. All the Ministers will be quietly celebrating the Pongal festival at their home,” he added. 

Reacting to BJP state president Tamilisai Soundararajan’s demand to bar candidates, who distributed money in RK Nagar from contesting in the by-poll, Dinakaran said, “Those who distributed money can be barred from contesting. I have not distributed money to anyone.” He further said that the by-poll was cancelled simply because the opponents sensed his victory in the seat in April. 

He asserted that the 12 MLAs, including Panneerselvam, who voted against the party whip during the confidence vote in February 18, would lose their posts soon. 

He also said that the time frame fixed by the Supreme Court for deciding the case on ‘Two Leaves’ symbol was not enough. “Each of the affidavits should be verified as there were many shortcomings and violations. Anyone could submit a copy of the Aadhaar to claim support,” he reasoned. 

Earlier, he distributed uniforms to the children at MGR Deaf and Dumb School at the former chief minister’s Ramavaram residence. He also had lunch with them. Dinakaran released a souvenir to mark the occasion of the 46th founding day.