Dhinakaran slams EPS camp, says GC meet on Sep 12 illegal, warns of legal action

Chennai, Sep 1: Mounting an all out offensive, 'ousted' AIADMK Amma leader T T V Dhinakaran today termed the September 12 Executive committee and the General Council meeting of the party convened by the unified AIADMK headed by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and his Deputy O Panneerselvam as 'illegal' and warned of legal action against those who convened it and those attending it. In a statement here, he said as per Rule 20(6) of the party if one fifth of the members under Sec 19(7) give it in writing calling for convening such a meeting, only then the General Secretary could convene it. Adopting a stubborn stand, Dhinakaran also said that only the meetings convened by his aunt and jailed 'interim' General Secretary V K Sasikala, who was appointed to the post in December last year following the death of late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa as a temporary arrangement, has the powers to convene such meetings. He said only the meetings convened by Sasikala as per party rules has legal recognition. Terming the meeting convened by the ruling party, purportedly to decide on removing Sasikala from the party, as 'illegal', a combative Dhinakaran, in a statement here, said the meeting was convened in a bid to create confusion among the AIADMK cadres as part of a 'conspiracy'. He said there was absolutely no connection between the AIADMK and the Executive and General Council meeting convened by Mr Panneerselvam and Mr Palaniswami, who were earlier appointed as the Coordinator and Joint Coordinator of the Steering committee to run the party affairs, post the August 21 merger of the two factions. He also appealed to the party cadres not to attend the meeting convened by the ruling faction on September 12 and warned of legal action against those participating in it by violating his (Dhinakaran's) order.  UNI