Reporter’s Diary: Ramadoss buries the hatchet with estranged friends for his son

The PMK leader seized the opportunity to bury the hatchet with his estranged friends. 

He had invited his one-time friend Dheeran for his 80th birthday celebrations. And it did not just stop with an invitation. Ramadoss attempted to bring his estranged friend turned foe back to the party as well. Not happy with Dheeran identifying PMK as “your party” on the dais, a nostalgic Ramadoss turned emotional and said that it would be “our party” and Dheeran would stay with ‘us’ hereafter, leaving both himself and Dheeran teary-eyed. 

Curiously, Dheeran was not the only surprise guest at the ‘muthu vizha’. Kanalarasan, son of deceased PMK leader ‘Kaduvetti’ Guru, had also accompanied his PMK-loyalist mother for the celebration. The same Guru junior had ‘campaigned’ against Ramadoss and family a few months ago during the Lok Sabha elections, courtesy to his sister whose marriage to a relative of the PMK top brass had allegedly objected to. 

Surprisingly, Ramadoss is said to have expressed interest in also inviting Tamizhaga Vaalvurimai Katchi leader Velmurugan for the event, but he was advised against warming up to the former trusted lieutenant who was among bitterest critics of Ramadoss and family of late. 

Probably, the PMK founder had planned a reunion of party old guard, understandably, to strengthen the base for his son Anbumani who has not been in the best of terms, even with his loyal party president G K Mani of late.