OPS held ritual in Secretariat to occupy CMO, alleges DMK prez

“Edappadi K Palaniswami will definitely go to prison when the Kodanad cases conclude. It would be late then, so he has performed yagna now to become chief minister. I publicly charged him with performing the yajna to either become CM or to destroy the files there,” said Stalin, speaking at a party functionary’s family wedding on Sunday.

Questioning the Deputy CM’s authority to perform yagna at the Secretariat, Stalin said, “The Secretariat belongs to all. It is a public place, a place belonging to the government and run using tax payer’s money. You have violated the oath on which you assumed office.”

“You are free to perform yagna at your home or at a temple or at Jayalalithaa’s memorial as did you earlier. But what right have you to perform yagna at the Secretariat,” the DMK president wondered.

Digressing with the Prime Ministerial candidate issue in the non-BJP front, Stalin recalled his earlier proposal of Congress president Rahul Gandhi for PM at Karunanidhi statue unveiling function and the subtle change in his stand at Kolkata. Stalin said the political situation was different in each state and they have decided to finalise the Prime Ministerial candidate issue after the elections.

“No one said that I was wrong in proposing Rahul for PM. Did Sarath Pawar not say that Rahul was competent enough to become PM? Do the leaders of various states not feel so?” the DMK president asked, adding that the parties there would make public their stand when the situation arises for them. 

Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar on Sunday denied that Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam conducted a yagna in Secretariat.

“There is no truth in Panneerselvam conducting yagna. Who saw it? Is there any evidence for conducting yajna, Jayakumar questioned, when addressing reporters in Chennai.

There were rumours in political circles and social media that Panneerselvam conducted Bramma Muhurtha yagna in Secretariat, at the early hours of Sunday. DMK president MK Stalin, questioned Panneerselvam on the reason behind conducting the ritual in Secretariat.

Under the circumstances Jayakumar said that he cannot comment on the issue when there is no evidence. He also blamed the opposition parties for spreading rumours.

“This (conducting yagna) was a planned rumour spread by opposition parties to split the AIADMK. We are united, but few political enemies do not want us to stay united and are spreading rumours,” said Jayakumar.

Jayakumar directly blamed DMK president MK Stalin and Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam leader TTV Dhinakaran behind the rumours. “Enemy’s enemy is a friend and, in that logic, both Stalin and Dhinakaran are working in tandem to topple the government,” Jayakumar said. He further said that the opposition party leaders are with the single thought of toppling the state government.

“These people (opposition leaders) go to sleep thinking of ways to bring down the government instead of doing any good for the people. Those who think bad will never succeed,” the Minister added.

When asked whether the BJP is trying to enslave the AIADMK as remarked by senior AIADMK leader Thambidurai, Jayakumar replied that Thambidurai is a senior member of the party and had held various post since the party was founded. He knew very well that the party has uniqueness and will not lose its identity.