Chennai: Days after he was temporarily suspended from the party for “anti-party activities”, the DMK on Sunday permanently dismissed former MP and Agriculture Wing secretary K P Ramalingam from the party.
Ramalingam’s dismissal from the party was announced by DMK chief M K Stalin in the party organ Murasoli. Stalin said since the explanation given by Ramalingam was not acceptable, he was dismissed from the primary membership of the DMK and was relieved from all party posts permanently.
He was relieved from the party post on 30 March for his views against an all-party meeting to discuss the coronavirus pandemic and Stalin had on 2 April said Ramalingam was temporarily suspended from the party for flouting party rules and for acting in a manner that brought disrepute to the party.
A show cause notice was issued to him asking as to why disciplinary action should not be taken against him for airing views against the Party High Command. Since the explanation given by Ramalingam was not acceptable,
he was permanently dismissed from the party.
A supporter of expelled DMK leader and former Union Minister M K Alagiri, Ramalingam was relieved from his post for his remarks against the all-party meeting suggested by Stalin to discuss the Covid-19 pandemic.
While Stalin urged Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami to convene an all party meeting through video-conferencing to discuss tackling the spread of coronavirus in the state, Ramalingam spoke against it, prompting disciplinary action by the high command and was subsequently dismissed from the DMK.