AIADMK staging drama in Parliament, says Dhinakaran

The Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) leader was reacting to the suspension of the AIADMK MPs from the lower House on Wednesday by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan.

"I see this as AIADMK's drama. It looks to me that they are doing some drama," he told reporters here, but did not divulge any reason.

To a question on a possible merger of his AMMK with the AIADMK, Dhinakaran ruled out any patch-up with "traitors."

About Congress president Rahul Gandhi's accusation that AIADMK members were trying to protect Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dhinakaran said, "whatever it may be but AIADMK is enacting a drama."

The MPs were suspended by Mahajan for five consecutive sittings starting Thursday for protesting and creating ruckus continuously in the House over the Cauvery issue.

Gandhi, who had launched an attack on the BJP over the Rafale deal in the Lok Sabha, had also accused the AIADMK MPs who were protesting in the Well of the House over the Cauvery issue when he was speaking, of trying to protect Modi.

Ever since he was sidelined by the K Palaniswami-led camp in 2017 prior to the merger of the camps headed by the chief minister and his now deputy O Panneerselvam, Dhinakaran has been calling them "traitors."

"I have said it already. How can I join hands with traitors. Over 90 per cent of Amma's (late J Jayalalithaa) supporters have not accepted this betrayal and extended support to us," he said.

Dhinakaran said he could win the RK Nagar bypoll in 2017 because of this cadre strength. The election was necessitated due to Jayalalithaa's death in December 2016.

The AIADMK has extended an invitation to those in AMMK to return to the parent organisation, while making it clear that Dhinakaran and his jailed aunt, sacked AIADMK chief VK Sasikala, were, however, not welcome.

Dhinakaran, who claimed that the ruling party and the "main opposition party" DMK, were scared to face the January 28 Thiruvarur bypoll, exuded confidence his AMMK would secure a grand victory at the hustings.

His party candidate would be announced soon, he added.