With utmost confidence that she would become the next chief minister of Tamil Nadu, AIADMK party chief and leader of its legislators in the assembly, VK Sasikala attacked caretaker Chief Minister, O.Panneerselvam. She blamed him for being a “traitor who betrayed the AIADMK.”

Sasikala held a meeting with her MLAs at party headquarters on Wednesday from where a majority of MLAs was taken away to secret locations so that they don't have thoughts of switching loyalties. She also appeared on a Tamil channel to counter a lot of statements given by OPS in the course of his revelations at Jayalalithaa's memorial on the Marina on Tuesday night.

Sasikala said that "the AIADMK members had asked her to lead them. I don't know who is behind all this. Only time will tell. " She also dismissed Mr Panneerselvam's allegation that he was forced to resign.

“On February 5, the MLAs elected me as their leader, the records are available. After that, in the evening, I went to the Governor's office. I was told that he had gone to Ooty. So all the MLAs were with me at the time. So, we faxed a letter from all the MLAs with their signatures,” she said replying to Mr Panneerselvam's charge.  “He is a traitor who betrayed the AIADMK. He is being backed by the DMK, which wants to destroy the AIADMK. The manner in which Panneerselvam behaves in the Assembly, it seems he is one of them (DMK),” she said in her takedown of his actions.

Reaction on Mr Panneerselvam’s allegation to set up an inquiry commission under a sitting Supreme Court judge to investigate “doubts” over the health condition and death of late Jayalalithaa, Ms Sasikala replied that she is not afraid of any kind of investigation.

“I feel deeply saddened when a person, who was there in the hospital for 75 days, was questioned. Everything went well in the hospital. On her last day, she even watched serials on Jaya TV. Jayalalithaa used to love old songs. I used to record songs and show her. O. Panneerselvam and Pandian have betrayed Amma. Again these people are going to their old ways. We are not bothered,” she said.

“I have spent 33 years in this house with Amma. The party cadres know how I looked after her and worked for her.” “The news was deliberately planted by someone on Amma’s health condition. The doctors and hospital employees will testify how I took care of Amma. Only I know the grief and pain I had to go through,” she said and added that she didn’t want to reveal to the world how she took care of her.

“It is very personal. It is wrong news that there was a delay in taking Amma to the hospital. The first person I called was the Deputy SP. Everybody knows, including those in the hospital how I took care of her.”

Ms Sasikala also hit out at the opposition DMK and charged that "DMK’s motive has always been to destroy the AIADMK. They are our enemy party. We do hate DMK. When DMK was in power there were many instances. DMK never stood for the interest of people. Why should there be a friendship with DMK then? "   

Showing the hope that the Governor would seek the right constitutional process, she said "not a single word was heard from him despite sending him a letter. We even sent a letter to Mumbai when we learnt that he was there. There was an acknowledgement, but no explanation for the delay."

When she was asked if there was a political motive following this delay, she replied, “I don’t think there are political reasons behind why he is not inviting me.” She, however, continued to stay silent over a possible role of BJP in the current crisis.

She said "Mr Panneerselvam’s allegation was 'false' and 'baseless'. The Legislature Party members met her at Poes Garden and she assured them not to be apprehensive. I told them please don’t worry and I will take AIADMK forward on the path of Amma. I told them not to get disheartened. After the meeting, all of them left. There was a lot of noise outside. I went outside, waived, and told them that I was with them."

Sasikala Blames DMK Party for the 'Constitutional Crisis'

BY M. DIVYA SRI