OPS approaches HC against July 11 general council meeting

CHENNAI: Former chief minister and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s coordinator O Panneerselvam on Tuesday approached the Madras High Court with a petition seeking an injunction to restrain the AIADMK joint coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami and others from convening the party’s General Council meeting on July 11.

Justice Krishnan Ramasamy who rejected the petition of OPS’s supporter M Shanmugam to stall the June 23 GC meeting of AIADMK has agreed to hear OPS’s fresh petition on Wednesday.

According to OPS as per the party bye-laws, any decision in the party should be taken jointly by the co-ordinator and joint coordinator, and the current GC meeting was called in the name of the presidium chairman which is illegal and against the Rules of AIADMK.

“A division bench of Madras HC had allowed the June 23 GC meeting to pass only the 23 pre-approved resolutions. Meanwhile, Edappadi K Palaniswami had brought an additional resolution to appoint Tamil Magan Hussain as the permanent presidium chairman of the party. While this appointment itself is contemptuous and against the 20 A (v) of the party bye-laws, his invite for a GC meeting is also to be held as illegal, ” OPS said in his affidavit.

He further submitted that despite interim directions from the HC, respondents have been deliberately and maliciously attempting to convene the illegal meeting on July 11 to illegally alter the bye-laws of the AIADMK to one person’s unlawful advantage.

“If the GC is permitted to be convened on July 11, the very basic structure of the party, the spirit of the party cadres, and the future of the AIADMK will be permanently damaged, ” OPS added.

In his affidavit, OPS charged EPS that in utter disregard for the bye-laws of the party and in an attempt to usurp the powers of the Co-Ordinator and Joint Coordinator, the latter has issued this illegal and unlawful notice inviting OPS and other general council members to the GC meeting on July 11.

“EPS claimed that the call was based on an alleged requisition made by 1/5th of the members of the GC on 23.06.2022. As per Rule 19 (vii), it is only the Co-Ordinator and the Joint Co-Ordinator who are vested with the power to convene the special meeting based on requisition. Neither under Rule 19 nor under Rule 20 A there is any provision to convene the meeting by any person other than the Co-Ordinator and the Joint Co-Ordinator of the party, ” OPS said.

He also said that EPS, as the headquarters secretary, had called for an office-bearer meeting at the party headquarters.

"AIADMK bye-laws do not confer any power to the headquarters secretary to convene a high-level committee meeting and it is to be jointly called by the coordinator and joint coordinator as per Rule 19 and 20 A of the party bye-laws, ” OPS noted