AIADMK coordinator and Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam on Tuesday said those who left the AIADMK soon after the demise of former Chief Ministers M.G. Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa to lead an “apolitical life in isolation” should return to make the party more vibrant and formidable.
Addressing a function organised to mark the unveiling of the portrait of former Legislative Assembly Speaker P.H. Pandian at Govindaperi, his birthplace, near Cheranmahadevi, Mr. Panneerselvam appealed to former leaders to return to the party fold, and cited the re-entry of former MLA V. Karuppasamy Pandian.
The Deputy Chief Minister said with his thorough legal knowledge Pandian exhibited the “sky-high powers of the Speaker” in the Assembly, and stood like a rock when the party and its governments faced troubled times. He set a trend in the functioning of Speakers across the country. “A fitting monument for P.H. Pandian will be constructed at Govindaperi and I will lead this exercise,” Mr. Panneerselvam said.
Former Minister and deputy coordinator of the AIADMK K.P. Munusamy recalled Pandian’s steadfast loyalty towards party high command whenever the party faced turbulence following the demise of MGR and Jayalalithaa.
“When MGR passed away, Pandian backed V.N. Janaki and played an active role in making her Chief Minister. Though several leaders got permission for starting self-financing engineering colleges during her rule, Pandian desisted from doing that as he was against commercialisation of education. Again, he exhibited uncompromising loyalty towards Jayalalithaa and after her demise, he fearlessly opposed the move made by a family to appropriate the AIADMK,” Mr. Munusamy said.
“If he had compromised his political and ideological stance, he could have got more attractive positions during his career,” Mr. Munusamy said.
Ministers K.T. Rajenthra Bhalaji, R.B. Udhayakumar, ‘Kadambur’ C. Raju and V.M. Rajalakshmi, Rajya Sabha MP Vijila Sathyananth, Tamil Nadu Government’s Special Representative in Delhi N. Thalavaisundaram, Bishop of Tirunelveli CSI Diocese Most Rev. Christdoss and MLAs participated.
During a brief informal chat with reporters, Mr. Panneerselvam said the Centre, through its recent award, had recognised the excellent law and order situation in Tamil Nadu when asked about former Union Minister Pon. Radhakrishnan’s assertion that the State had become a den of terrorists.
When asked if invoking of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against the accused in SSI Wilson’s murder case was a testimony to Mr. Radhakrishnan’s allegation, Mr. Panneerselvam preferred not to give an answer.
