OPS Responds to Big Win for EPS, Says Top Court Ruling Not Setback; Hints at Meeting Sasikala

A day after the Supreme Court delivered a big jolt to AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam responded saying the ruling was not a setback and asserted that he would go to the people and seek justice.

In his first official reaction to the top court’s order that allowed Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) to continue as party interim chief, Panneerselvam said no verdict is a setback for his side.

“Only after this judgment, our party workers are more enthusiastic,” he said in Chennai.

Speaking to CNN-News18, OPS said his camp would seek the support of the necessary people and said he would be prepared to meet expelled AIADMK leader V K Sasikala and her nephew TTV Dhinakaran as well.

Palaniswami, or EPS, was elected as AIADMK’s interim general secretary, at the general council meeting last year after the high court had rejected a plea by Paneerselvam, or OPS, to stay the conduct of the general council meeting. The court had then observed that it cannot interfere in the squabbles of a political party.

Speaking about the Chief Minister EPS, Pannerselvam said, “Nowhere in the SC order has the court ruled that the expulsion of OPS is valid or that the appointment of EPS as interim general secretary is valid. They have only said that the meeting is valid.”

OPS further claimed that the top court judgement would have no bearing on the Election Commission recognising OPS as the AIADMK party coordinator.

Asserting that the ‘Dharma Yudham’ is in action, Panneerselvam, popularly known as OPS said he and his followers would take this legal battle forward. He added that they hadn’t exhausted all their legal options yet.

Hitting out at accusations against him and his camp that they are the ruling DMK’s ‘B’ team, OPS said the Palaniswami camp is the A to Z team of DMK.

“Can they accuse us of a single thing? There are a thousand things. These will come out one after the other,” he said. They were patient so far considering party discipline and to ensure that the party does not ‘break-up,’ OPS added.

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