AMMK leader T T V Dhinakaran mocked his aunt V K Sasikala’s political party launch, likening it to “instant sambar” and “instant idli” and said the NDA’s prospects at the hustings will not be affected by it.
On February 24, while celebrating the 78th birth anniversary of late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in Ramanathapuram’s Kamuthi, Sasikala made a dramatic comeback in politics by announcing the launch of her own political party.
She unveiled her party flag carrying the images of former Chief Ministers: C N Annadurai, M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa, and targeted AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, who had expelled her from the party.
Asked about the political party launch by the former interim general secretary of AIADMK, AMMK general secretary Dhinakaran told reporters: “many new parties are emerging suddenly like instant sambar and instant idly. Anyone can start a party in a democracy.”
He claimed that no one can stop Amma’s (Jayalalithaa) true followers from standing together and forming Amma’s government. “All the true followers of Amma – the AMMK and AIADMK – are solidly together in facing the upcoming Assembly election. We will establish Amma’s rule in the state,” Dhinakaran told reporters in Tirunelveli on Tuesday.
Without naming anyone, Dhinakaran said, “the true colours of those who all along have been claiming to install Amma’s rule in the state, now stand exposed.”
Dhinakaran, who is son of Sasikala’s sister, Vanithamani, however, had defended his aunt with regard to the 2017 crisis in the AIADMK and claimed that then Chief Minister O Panneerselvam had resigned due to pressure from his own ministerial colleagues and not because of Sasikala.