Reporter’s Diary: Democracy ends in AIADMK? Party returns to Jaya mode

The AIADMK’s internal problems like delay in conducting the general body meeting and the dissent voices on dual leadership have finally snowballed into a bout between the media and the ruling party resulting in the unusual development. On Thursday, the AIADMK party in a communication to news editors of various media houses urged the editorial staff not to quote the AIADMK party functionaries who are not official spokespersons, carefully singling out the sulking MLAs.

“Only authorised AIADMK spokespersons can interact with media and the views made by others will not be endorsed by the AIADMK. The AIADMK hopes that the media houses will refrain the ruling party from initiating legal actions on the subject,” the party said in its letter to journalists.

On Wednesday the AIADMK government also sent a ‘press release’ on a defamation suit filed against a Tamil daily for publishing frivolous article against the chief minister EPS. Usually, such defamation details are directly sent to the media organisations and not shared as a public document under the title —‘press release’.

Many AIADMK functionaries, particularly the MLAs who enjoy publicity are visibly upset and are now avoiding TV debate shows. The channels which were feasting on issues related to the AIADMK, however, continue their business without the party’s  opinion. Even news channels are also finding it difficult to get the authorised AIADMK spokespersons for TV debates. Scribes covering AIADMK beat are also in demand for the talk shows, but most of them are avoiding the debates, thanks to the cynical mode of democratic AIADMK.