During the recent general council meeting of AIADMK, senior party leader R S Bharathi attracted attention by wearing a T‑shirt bearing the word “Authority.” The move triggered criticism and ridicule, with opponents calling it a symbolic mockery aimed at projecting power. In a statement, Bharathi was accused of mocking the party’s leadership, with detractors arguing that the meeting resembled a “make‑up show” — a staged attempt to hide the anxiety of Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) and project false authority.
Thee decision at the meeting that “AIADMK will lead any alliance, with EPS having full power to decide coalition partners and strategy” is being ridiculed as hollow — likened to putting a fancy shirt on someone without real power. Many feel the “Authority” T‑shirt was part of a symbolic exercise to mask internal weakness and uncertainty, he said.
Bharathinsaid, voters would see through what they called “theatrics” and reject the AIADMK’s claims at the polls.