AIADMK removes Panneerselvam as party treasurer

AIADMK compelled me to resign as chief minister, said Panneerselvam

O Panneerselvam, who created a storm during his 30 minutes media briefing on Tuesday, was dismissed as treasurer of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).

Hours after late J Jayalalithaa’s faithful party leader revealed that he was forced to resign from the Chief Minister's post, AIADMK dismissed him as treasurer, while General Secretary V K Sasikala said he would soon be removed from all other posts of the party.

Slamming allegations against AIADMK as a conspiracy between Panneerselvam and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Sasikala said, “Nobody forced him to sign the resignation. DMK is behind this controversy”.

All other MLAs of AIADMK continue to be united as a family, she added.

Voicing his support for Sasikala and dispelling rumours of rift within the Party, Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker and senior
AIADMK leader Thambidurai said that all the MLAs are still supporting Sasikala. “All the 134 MLAs are supporting Sasikala”, claimed Thambidurai.

Panneerselvam on Tuesday night said that he had been threatened and forced to step down as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu. “They compelled me to resign,” Panneerselvam told reporters.

He said he would withdraw his resignation if the cadres and public wanted him to.

Immediately after his comments, senior ministers and AIADMK members rushed to the Poes Garden residence of the late party chief, J Jayalalithaa, where Sasikala is based.

Therein, the Party decided to dismiss Panneerselvam from the post of treasurer. “He has been replaced with Dindigual Srinivasan”, said AIADMK's mouthpiece Jaya TV.

Meanwhile, AIADMK has called for MLAs meeting on Wednesday morning. The trusted aide of late Jayalalithaa, Panneerselvam had until recently been the second in command in the Party. Besides, holding the post of treasurer, O Panneerselvam is also the finance minister of Tamil Nadu.