EPS to stay away from Pasumpon

CHENNAI: When representatives of the Thevar community were keen on meeting AIADMK interim general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami to push their idea of merger and bring together ousted AIADMK leaders O Panneerselvam, VK Sasikala and TTV Dhinakaran, Palaniswami decided to stay away from the guru pooja and deputed a team of his supporters to participate in the 60th guru pooja.

Camp EPS would be headed by former ministers Dindugal C Sreenivasan, Natham R Viswamathan and Sellur K Raju and senior party functionaries from the Thevar region to participate in the guru puja on behalf of him and the party. He also appealed to his supporters to participate in large numbers in the 115th birth anniversary and 60th guru pooja of freedom fighter Pasumpon Muthuramalingam.

On the other hand, EPS declared that he would participate “on behalf of the AIADMK party” in guru puja in Chennai.

Coordinator of Thevar Politburo Harappa Thiyagarajan told DT Next that EPS is avoiding Pasumpon, after learning about efforts to meet him for a common good of the party. “EPS supporters here have been planning to organise a grand reception to dispel the notion that Thevars are against his leadership. On learning this, we decided to meet him to insist on the merger of the factions and return of OPS and Sasikala for the common good of the party,” he said.

Sources in camp EPS said that their leader is unwilling to visit Madurai to avoid unwanted situations in the best interest of the party. “Our party leader is paying tribute to Pasumpon Thevar’s statue installed by Amma (Jayalalithaa) in Chennai. The decision has been taken based on certain circumstances,” senior party leader D Jayakumar said.

“The AIADMK is losing its rights. The court order is an example. If the tug-of-war continues, it ultimately leads to the freezing of symbols and they have neither party nor political future. We don’t want that to happen,” said Harappa.