Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India]: After AIADMK general secretary V.K. Sasikala broke down while addressing party MLAs, Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam on Sunday took a dig at the former saying that “shedding crocodile tears” will not help her cause, adding that he would prove his majority in the assembly.
“Unnecessarily shedding crocodile tears, and passing new remarks every day is not going to help. I will prove everything in the assembly,” Panneerselvam said, after AIADMK MP Parthiban extended support to him.
Pannerselvam further said the party cadres are increasingly voicing their dissent against Sasikala taking charge of the Chief Minister post.
“Many party cadres who are not even in Chennai, are voicing their opinion against Sasikala assuming charge as the Tamil Nadu’s Chief Mminister,” he said.
The Chief Minister further said he was harassed and tortured all these years in the AIADMK.
“Only Amma stood by me all these years. I am telling this for the first time, I was subjected to harassment and torture all these years,” he said.
With the inclusion of Parthiban, the number of MPs supporting Panneerselvam has risen to ten.
Earlier today, Sasikala broke down while addressing AIADMK MLAs and blamed Pannerselvam of trying to create a rift within the party.
“Our only goal is to ensure that Amma’s government should be kept alive. We have to ensure that for the third time running our government will come into power. I will work hard, I want you to work hard to.”
Sasikala also refuted allegations that she has held several party MLAs captive to prevent them from joining Panneerselvam’s camp and said that the defectors, along with the opposition, are spreading lies to split the party.
“You can see for yourselves that no one has been locked up. You should see this and understand that the people who said MLAs are being locked up are lies. Some defectors and as well as our enemies are spreading false rumours to the media,” Sasikala said. (ANI)