AIADMK approaches HC seeking protection for General Council meeting

CHENNAI: Amidst the existing leadership crisis in the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), Tamil Nadu's prime opposition party, on Monday approached the Madras High Court for extending police protection for its General Council meeting scheduled on June 23.

Justice N Sathish Kumar has agreed to hear the matter on Wednesday - a day before the AIADMK GC.

While there is a tussle between the supporters of AIADMK's coordinators O Panneerselvam and Edappadi K Palaniswami regarding whether or not to abolish the dual leadership arrangement in the party, AIADMK's Tiruvallur Central district secretary and former minister P Benjamin had filed a petition seeking direction to the State Police to give protection for his party's GC meeting.

In his affidavit, Benjamin stated that former Chief Ministers, MPs, MLAs, general council and executive committee members more than 2500 people will be participating in the June 23 meeting which has been scheduled to be conducted in a private marriage hall in Vanagaram near Chennai.

"To conduct the event peacefully, we made a representation to the DGP of police and Avadi City Commissioner to provide proper police protection to our general council meeting. However, the police didn't respond to our representation. On June 15, We again made a representation to the police to extend the protection. The police did not react to our second representation either. We are aggrieved with the stand of the state police," the AIADMK leader said in a plea.

He further pleaded that his petition is heard as an urgent plea. Justice N Satish Kumar recorded the arguments and directed the registry to post the matter for hearing on Wednesday.