Single judge order directly interfering with party affairs: EPS

CHENNAI: AIADMK joint coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami had filed an appeal before the Madras High Court seeking a direction to set aside the single judge’s August 17 order passed in favor of his rival O Panneerselvam nullifying the July 11 GC meeting of AIADMK.

Senior Advocate and former Advocate General S Vijay Narayan, appearing for EPS mentioned before the second bench comprising Justice M Duraiswamy and Justice Sunder Mohan to take their appeal for an urgent hearing.

When Justice Duraiswamy asked the senior counsel to file an appeal, Vijay Narayan pointed out that they had filed the appeal petition.

Recording the submission, the bench responded to the senior counsel that they would be in a position to hear the matter on Monday once it is numbered by the HC registry before 1.30 pm on Thursday. The matter has been listed as the sixth item on Monday before the second bench.

In his affidavit, EPS said, “the impugned Order apart from being contrary to law has also failed to look into relevant pertinent facts and has been made on assumptions and irrational reasoning which makes it completely unworkable, arbitrary and illegal.”

The order of the single judge is directly interfering with the affairs of the party and curtails the democratic functioning of the party ignoring the wishes of the majority of the members and the same is liable to be set aside, according to the AIADMK leader.

He further stated that the order is literally propagating the wish of the single person for dual leadership. Meanwhile, the majority of the party has moved towards single leadership.

EPS asserted that the party cadre has been upset with the 1st respondent (OPS) on various activities at a political level. “There is no need for the cadre to express their feelings in a court of law and it is not for the court also to decipher the mentality of the cadre and the members of the party,” EPS added.

OPS has no right to give unity call, says Rajan Chellappa

O Panneerselvam, AIADMK coordinator and Bodinayakkanur MLA, who maintains close links with the ruling DMK, has no right to give an unity call to the faction led by Edappadi K Palaniswami, said AIADMK legislator VV Rajan Chellappa (Tiruparankundram) and Madurai rural district (East) secretary.

Talking to reporters at Tiruparankundram on Thursday, Chellappa, while wondering how OPS could call upon all in the AIADMK to unite as one and forget the bitter past, said no one in the party is ready to accept dual leadership and Panneerselvam will never succeed in his endeavor to take control of the party again.