The speech has angered TTV Dhinakaran so much that he has asked AIADMK to sack Sreenivasan.
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Dindigul C Sreenivasan, the Minister for Forests, has either decided to stop living in denial, or has had a major faux paus moment, we’re not quite sure which.
In a shocking statement, the AIADMK leader and state minister referred to money ‘stolen by Amma’, while taking a dig at AMMK chief and RK Nagar MLA, TTV Dhinakaran.
At an event to commemorate the 'grand success' of 'retrieving the Cauvery', Sreenivasan was addressing AIADMK cadre in Dindigul on Monday.
In a reference to the 18 MLAs who petitioned the Governor in support of the split away Dhinakaran faction in September last year, Sreenivasan said, "If 18 people go to the Governor and give petitions, can we be quiet? Legally they are being given 7, 15, 20 days, and upto a month's time. Without using that time, they are happily going to Mysuru and America with the help of the money given to them by Dhinakaran, which was robbed by Amma."
Yes, we double checked.
Sreenivasan's speech has angered TTV Dhinakaran so much that he has demanded that the former be sacked. "If the 18 MLAs had gone with a leader greater than Amma, we would have been proud. But he's a cheat and rowdy who was cast aside by Amma. They act as though it is on their mercy that the government is running," Sreenivasan had said in his speech.
In a press statement given on Tuesday night, TTV Dhinakaran said, "They referred to Amma as mother and God when she was alive. Now when she is not there, people like Dindigul Sreenivasan, who she raised to the stature of a minister, are tarnishing her reputation. I expect those politicians who claim they are running Amma's government to immediately remove him from his post."
He however added that he did not expect Edapadi Palaniswami to react to his demand. "But they definitely won't do that (sack Sreenivasan). When their only thought is to retain MLAs in order to sustain the government, they will not be concerned about Honourable Amma's reputation being tainted. They only consider staying in power as important."
While Sreenivasan said ‘Amma’ – the monicker all cadre use for Jayalalithaa – he could of course turn around and say he was referring to ‘Chinnamma’ – the term used for Sasikala. We will only know when we know.
The late Chief Minister was posthumously convicted by the Supreme Court as Accused No 1 in the Disproportionate Assets case, but AIADMK leaders have been largely tight lipped about the issue, except to hit out at Sasikala.
Sreenivasan's comments are shocking given the tight grip the AIADMK supremo had on the party. Not even Ministers representing their own departments were allowed to speak to the press.
However, Sreenivasan is barely new to controversy. During one of the many twists and turns in the party following Jayalalithaa’s death, he had announced on stage that the AIADMK leaders including himself had lied about what had happened when their leader was in the hospital.
“We would have told lies that she (Jayalalithaa) had idlis and people met her. The truth is that nobody saw her,” he had said, apologising to people.
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