EPS faction leaders ask DGP for police protection during AIADMK meet on July 11

Chennai, July 5

The Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) faction leaders of the AIADMK, former Minister D. Jayakumar, and P. Benjamin have petitioned the Tamil Nadu Director General of Police to provide police protection for the party general council meeting on July 11 to be held at Vangaram. The leaders said that anti-social elements may try to disturb the meeting and hence they need protection.

The EPS supporters have convened the meeting and invitations have been sent to all the general council members of the party including O. Panneerselvam.

The meeting has been convened to elect EPS as the party general secretary and bring to an end the present dual leadership in the party. Presently O. Panneerselvam is the coordinator of the party while Palaniswami is the co-coordinator. The invitation to the general council meeting states that if the meeting cannot be held due to any Covid-related restrictions, then it will be held in the online mode.

The main agenda of the meeting according to leaders close to Edappadi is to abolish the posts of coordinator and joint coordinator and put an end to the dual leadership in the party and elect a single general secretary.

The invitation states that as the amendments made to the by-laws of the party on December 1, 2021 for electing a coordinator and joint coordinator were not ratified by the general council meeting on June 23, a situation has arisen wherein the coordinator and joint coordinator cannot function.

Sources in the EPS faction told IANS that on June 23, 2190 members of the general council had made a request to convene the next general council meeting on July 11. The meeting will be convened by AIADMK Presidium Chairman, A. Tamizhmagan Hussain at 9.15 am on July 11.

Sixteen topics are to be discussed at the general council meeting including opposition to the anti-people activities of the DMK government of Stalin. The foisting of cases against former AIADMK ministers by the present DMK government will also be discussed.

Meanwhile, the OPS faction has moved the Madras High Court to stall the general council meeting. However, the division bench of the Madras High Court did not accept the complaint and directed a single bench of the court to hear the case. It is to be seen whether the OPS faction will move the single bench of the Madras High Court.