TTV Dhinakaran Calls EPS A "Liar", Reminds Him Of 2017 No-Confidence Motion

Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary TTV Dhinakaran, who was expelled from the AIADMK, lashed out at Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS), calling him a "liar".

He accused EPS of twisting the events from the past and said, in 2017, after J Jayalalithaa's death, when the DMK moved a no-confidence motion in the Tamil Nadu assembly against him, it was he who helped by gathering the support of the MLAs.

"It was the AIADMK MLAs, not the BJP, who saved EPS during the no-confidence motion moved by the DMK. 122 MLAs stood by EPS, and later, 18 MLAs gave a petition to the governor, not to topple the government, but to replace EPS as Chief Minister, as they were unhappy with his style of functioning," he said.

He recalled that before former AIADMK interim general secretary VK Sasikala's imprisonment, when the decision was taken to select EPS as the Chief Minister, EPS himself had asked him to first gather MLAs' signatures before making an announcement. At that time, many MLAs had opposed EPS, he said, questioning who really saved him then.

He further alleged that EPS later removed him and is now twisting facts by claiming others tried to topple the government.

On EPS's ties with the BJP, Mr Dhinakaran said EPS declared ahead of the 2024 elections that there would be no alliance with the BJP in 2024 or 2026, but he is now praising the BJP.

He said EPS is speaking as though he started the party. "If self-respect is so important, then why is he in Delhi now? The last time he went to Delhi, he shifted six cars and secretly met the Home Minister," Mr Dhinakaran alleged.

Earlier, Edappadi Palaniswami rejected AIADMK veteran leader KA Sengottaiyan's calls for a unified AIADMK and said no to readmitting expelled AIADMK leaders in the party, accusing them of being "betrayers".