Sasikala meets AIADMK leaders as Panneerselvam rebels

Chenai(Tamil Nadu) [India], Feb. 8 (ANI): Ahead of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) MLAs meet at party headquarter, general secretary V.K. Sasikala Natarajan on Wednesday met leaders including M. Thambidurai at Poes Garden. Meanwhile, reacting to the political crisis, interim Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam today said that there is a force behind everything that is happening in the state. Issuing fresh allegations, Panneerselvam claimed he was never allowed to meet late chief minister J. Jayalalithaa even once when she was hospitalised in the Apollo Hospitals. Meanwhile. police force has been deployed at former Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa's memorial at Chennai's Marina Beach. After an open revolt by Panneerselvam, an emergency meeting of top AIADMK leaders was called at Sasikala's residence yesterday. Tamil Nadu politics witnessed a turn of events yesterday with Panneerselvam staging a major revolt against Sasikala, who has been elected as the Legislature Party leader. Panneerselvam said he was forced to resign from the Chief Minister post by the Sasikala camp which was however, denied by the AIADMK general secretary. Meanwhile, after consulting some of her party colleagues and Ministers at the Poes Garden residence, Sasikala announced the removal of Panneerselvam from the AIADMK treasurer post. Reacting to his removal, Panneerselvam said that the party treasurer post was entrusted to him by late Jayalalithaa and he cannot be removed by any one. Panneerselvam, in a surprise move last night, went to the burial site of Jayalalithaa at Chennai's Marina Beach and told the media that after her demise, he was made to agree for V. K. Sasikala to the post of party General Secretary. However, Panneerselvam said he is ready to take back his resignation from the post of Chief Minister if the party cadres and the public want him to do so. Governor Vidyasagar Rao has accepted the resignation of Panneerselvam. However, he has asked him and his Cabinet to continue to discharge the duties till alternate arrangements are made. (ANI)