Dhinakaran makes veiled attack on Sasikala and OPS

CHENNAI: Appealing to cadres and functionaries to work hard to ensure victory of National Democratic Alliance and re-establish “Amma’s govt” in Tamil Nadu, AMMK leader T T V Dhinakaran on Saturday said a new crop of political parties formed to aid the “greedy” DMK and lacking any long-term vision would become irrelevant over time.

Self-centred individuals, who lived only for themselves, would gradually fade from public life, and their life journey would turn into a desert with no lasting imprint, he said in a letter to cadres on the 9th foundation day of the AMMK.




The remarks are seen as a veiled attack on his aunt V K Sasikala, who on Friday announced the name of her new party and unveiled its symbol ‘Thennanthoppu’ (Coconut grove), and former chief minister O Panneerselvam, who recently joined the DMK.

Dhinakaran said AMMK’s journey was filled with challenges and hardships, much like the political paths of leaders like DMK founder C N Annadurai, AIADMK founder M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa. Recalling the party’s launch on the same day in 2018 at a public meeting held in Melur in Madurai district, he said the party has moved forward steadily since then.

“Victory cannot be achieved in a single day and forgotten the next day. It is a continuous journey. We are nearing the primary objective of our journey,” he said, urging cadres to work tirelessly with allies to ensure NDA’s victory and unseat DMK govt.

He criticised DMK govt over the law-and-order situation and accused it of trying to influence voters by crediting Rs 5,000, including a special summer package of Rs 2,000, to women ahead of assembly election.

“The women of Tamil Nadu will give a fitting reply to this in the assembly poll,” he said.