Supreme Court’s support to EPS is not a setback, we will go now…: OPS

Chennai:

Ousted AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam today said the Supreme Court verdict allowing Edappadi K Palaniswami to continue as the party’s interim chief is not a shock and asserted that he would go to the people and seek justice. .

In his first official reaction to the apex court verdict, Panneerselvam said none of the verdicts came as a shock to him. “Our party workers are more excited only after this decision,” he told reporters.

Panneerselvam, popularly known as OPS, said the ‘Dharma Yuddham’ was on, adding that he and his followers would go to the people to seek justice. The outreach campaign will start soon and will be organized district-wise across the state.

“We will seek justice by standing on the side of Dharma.” Till now his camp was focused on court cases and from now on he will work to reach out to the people.

“We fought it in the apex court. Our battalion has started. We will go to the people’s court,” he said, adding that he would get a good verdict from the people.

Responding to a question on allegations that he and his supporters were the ‘B’ team of the ruling DMK, Panneerselvam said, “They (Palaniswamy camp) are the A to Z team of the DMK.”

He said, “Can they accuse us of only one thing? There are thousands of things, they will come up one after the other.” The OPS said that they were patient till now in view of the party’s discipline and to ensure that there is no ‘break-up’ of the party.

R Vaithilingam, a staunch OPS loyalist, demanded to know the outcome of several cases, including corruption cases, against EPS followers. Vaithilingam, a former minister, also mentioned the Kodanadu murder and dacoity case.

Referring to the EPS camp’s claim that they would not take back OPS, VK Sasikala and their relative TTV Dhinakaran, the former chief minister wondered whether the party was founded by Mr Palaniswami. The EPS team is arrogant and they will be subdued by the people and party workers. Sasikala is a confidante of the late Jayalalithaa.

The OPS reiterated that no one has the authority to nullify the party’s bye-law that party chief J Jayalalithaa is the perpetual general secretary.

AIADMK is a party of workers and founder MG Ramachandran has given party workers the right to choose the top leader. However, 10 district secretaries must propose an individual and it must be approved by an equal number of secretaries. Such things cannot be done, he said.

Prominent O Panneerselvam supporter Manoj Pandian and other loyalists said the apex court’s verdict gave full scope for further legal action in the high court. Therefore, further action will be taken after discussing this matter.

“Our case in the Supreme Court was that the General Council (11,2022) should have been convened only by the OPS and the EPS together. For that both would have to put their signatures. That was our case. We did not go into the resolutions.” Absolutely.” Not a single line in the judgment says that the resolutions passed in the General Council are valid. “There is nothing in the SC judgment to elevate Palaniswami as interim general secretary or expel Mr. Panneerselvam and his followers,” he added. supports.”

Such important changes and decisions were taken through the adoption of resolutions.

Mr. Panneerselvam’s loyalists said the Supreme Court’s judgment has made it clear that the judgment is not binding on pending civil suits regarding change in party leadership and related matters.

The proposals – which promoted EPS as interim chief and expelled OPS and his followers – have not been implemented, he stressed.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)