Chennai: A day after the AMMK announced that he would be sacked, rebel leader Thangatamilselvan Wednesday flayed the party founder T T V Dhinakaran, saying he took decisions “unilaterally.”
Claiming that the new venture (the party) was not accepted by people, the former MLA said he was not in agreement with the founder over launch of AMMK since its inception. “I did not want to go for appeal in the AIADMK ‘two leaves’ symbol case… They (Dhinakaran) went for it and lost. I wanted retrieval of AIADMK from them (OPS and Palaniswami), but they started a new party with a new symbol. People as well as AIADMK cadres did not support Dhinakaran,” he claimed.
Hitting out at Dhinakaran, Thangatamilselvan said, “He takes decisions unilaterally and is not open to criticisms..”
“Only because of me the launch of the party was delayed by a year,” he said in response to a query on reasons for delay in voicing his dissent.
“All I am asking him is to accept failure and not to confuse people further. We have lost the Lok Sabha polls and by-elections too.”
Asked whether he would return to AIADMK or join DMK, Thangatamilselvan said he has not taken any decision. “… I need rest because of the hard work I put in (during elections). As of now, neither have I received invitation from any party, nor am I going to join one,” he said.
Meanwhile, state Fisheries Minister and senior AIADMK leader D Jayakumar told reporters that no one was going to stop anyone from joining our party. “There are people who are already joining the ruling party. As far as acceptance is concerned, the party has to take a call,” he said.
Amid speculation that Thangatamilselvan was planning to jump ship, Dhinakaran had Tuesday announced his once trusted lieutenant would be sacked.
The announcement came after an audio clip in which Thangatamilselvan, Propaganda Secretary of AMMK, purportedly criticised Dhinakaran in strong words, went viral. Thangatamilselvan, who represented Andipatti segment, had sided with Dhinakaran after Palaniswami merged the faction led by him with that of then rebel leader O Panneerselvam in 2017.
Speculation has been rife that the two were not on good terms following the party’s drubbing in the April 18 Lok Sabha polls where it drew a blank and Thangatamilselvan, who himself lost from Theni constituency, was eyeing to quit the party.
