In continuing AIADMK’s legacy of “revolutionary” titles, its General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami was on Sunday given the ‘Puratchi Tamilar’ title, making him the “Revolutionary Tamil”. He now joins AIADMK stalwarts, both late chief ministers — founder M G Ramachandran (MGR) and J Jayalalithaa — to be called a revolutionary. While MGR was ‘Puratchi Thalaivar’, his protege Jayalalithaa was ‘Puratchi Thalaivi’, both meaning revolutionary leaders. Party workers would often hail them by these titles. On Sunday, in his first show of strength after being chosen the top leader at the end of a power tussle with the now expelled rival O Panneerselvam, Palaniswami was given the title by a group of priests from various faiths. Shouts of ‘Puratchi Tamilar’ rent the air as his colleagues and party workers chanted the new title of their leader.
