Pudukottai: Dismissing reports of any fissures between him and Tamilnadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami, Deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam Monday said not even a tsunami can create problems between them.
Charging the opposition parties with trying to drive a wedge between him and Palaniswami, Panneerselvam said any such attempts from “within and outside” would not fructify.
Panneerselvam is AIADMK coordinator while Palaniswami the joint coordinator. “Even if a tsunami strikes, the opposition parties cannot create a problem between us. We are determined and treading the path of ideals laid down by MGR and Amma,” he said at a marriage function here.
AIADMK founder, former chief minister M G Ramachandran is addressed as MGR while his protege and former CM J Jayalalithaa is Amma (mother) for the party supporters. Panneerselvam’s assertion comes weeks after his rival and Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam founder TTV Dhinakran made a sensational disclosure that former chief minister Panneerselvam wanted to oust the Palaniswami government with his assistance and had therefore met him last year.
Dhinakaran had said Panneerselvam wanted to meet him as he regretted revolting against deposed party leader V K Sasikala and his subsequent criticism against the family.
However, Panneerselvam has denied Dhinakaran’s accusation that he wanted to dethrone Palaniswami and take over as chief minister, saying he has held the office thrice and was content. He had, however, admitted he met Dhinakaran last July as claimed by the latter, but only with the hope that the AMMK leader would have been a ‘reformed’ man.