Chennai (Tamil Nadu) : AIADMK co-ordinator O Panneerselvam has addressed a letter dated June 19 to party joint co-ordinator K Palanisawami to postpone the party general council and executive committee meeting, scheduled to be held at a marriage hall in Vanagaram here, to some other venue and date. A submission to this effect was made before the IV Assistant Judge Priya, attached to the City Civil Court situated in the High Court premises, when a petition from S Suriyamurthy of Dindigul district, seeking to stay the meeting, came up for further hearing on Monday.
A copy of the letter was also produced before the judge. However, the counsel for other parties, including Palaniswami, told the judge they have not received the letter. Priya adjourned the matter by a day (Tuesday) after directing OPS' counsel to furnish copies of the June 19 letter to the other parties in the case. The letter insisted the presence of special invitees -- senior members of the party including ex-MLAs, MPs and ministers, to participate in the meeting, as per the convention followed by party general secretary J Jayalalithaa till her death. Since it was alleged the hall could not accommodate the special invitees, the letter suggested the change of the venue.
Also read: OPS fighting back to the wall: AIADMK HQ turns into a war zone
The letter also found fault with the proposed agenda of the meeting, which allegedly included debate on 'single leadership" issue. Party workers were furious and placed in a confused state of mind and to avoid any untoward incident, the letter pleaded for the postponement of the meeting to some other venue and date. Originally, Suriyamurthy had contended neither Panneerselvam nor Palanisamy, who were declared elected as co-ordinator and joint co-ordinator respectively of the AIADMK, were entitled to hold the meeting on June 23, as their election itself was illegal and against the constitution of the party. No civil court had given its seal of approval for their election. Even the Election Commission of India did not give any authorisation to this, he claimed.
The June 23 meeting was against the constitutional provisions of the party and hence should be stayed, he had added. Seeking to reject the petition, Panneerselvam and Palaniswami had submitted the petitioner had no locus standi to file the petition as he was no more a basic member of the party. And the judge had on June 16 adjourned the matter till July 22 without passing any interim order as prayed for.
Subsequently, Suriyamurthy made a special mention before the judge to take up the matter on Monday (today) in view of the urgency involved in the matter, which was acceded to by the judge. Accordingly, the matter was heard today and adjourned by a day with the direction. Meanwhile, C Balakrishnan of Perundurai in Erode district, who had been allegedly assaulted on December 4, 2021 when he attempted to file his objections for conducting party organisational elections on December 7 at the AIADMK headquarters in Royapettah here, has moved the court situated in Allikulam complex, to stall the meeting on June 23. Separately, P Benjamin, district secretary of Tiruvallur central district, prayed for police protection to the June 23 meeting. (PTI)
