AIADMK will rise like a phoenix, says EPS at event held to mark party’s 55th founding day

The 55^th founding day celebration of the AIADMK was held on Saturday at the party’s headquarters in Royapettah.

Party general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami arrived at the headquarters and paid floral tributes to the statues of former Chief Ministers MGR and Jayalalithaa. Former Ministers, including C. Ponnaiyan, K.P. Munusamy, Dindigul C. Sreenivasan, and B. Valarmathi, were also present. Following this, Mr. Palaniswami hoisted the party flag and released a book titled Dravidian Phoenix. Speaking on the occasion, he said: “Former Chief Ministers MGR and Jayalalithaa faced numerous trials, both while in power and outside. Therefore, like the mythical phoenix, we will rise again and capture power.”

Later, addressing reporters, former Minister Agri S.S. Krishnamurthy criticised former Minister S.P. Velumani’s remarks regarding those who had split from the party.

“While speaking to the press in Coimbatore, he suggested that O. Panneerselvam should also be readmitted into this movement. He left the AIADMK and contested and won on the DMK’s symbol. How can he be taken back? At this rate, it seems he might even ask to readmit S. Muthusamy, S. Regupathy, and P.K. Sekarbabu. As far as T.T.V. Dhinakaran is concerned, he is functioning as part of the National Democratic Alliance led by Mr. Palaniswami in Tamil Nadu. Therefore, Mr. Velumani is expressing such views out of sheer malice. If he truly intended to bring back the governance of MGR and Jayalalithaa, why would he support a TVK-led government?” he asked.

Referring to Mr. Velumani’s claim that having an alliance with the BJP in the 2024 Parliamentary elections would have secured them four Cabinet berths, Mr. Krishnamurthy pointed out that when Mr. Palaniswami sought opinions regarding an alliance with the BJP, it was Mr. Velumani who was the first to voice opposition to the tie-up.