Ministers react sharply to K P Munusamy's comments against Sasikala's brother

Trouble brewed in the ruling AIADMK on Monday with former Minister K P Munusamy accusing party general secretary V K Sasikala’s brother V Divakaran of attempting to wield influence in the party.

State Ministers O S Manian, C Ve Shanmugam and R Kamaraj however, objected to Munusamy’s charges.

"Sasikala’s family is trying to become the power centre within the party," said the former minister. Munusamy, an MLA from Krishnagiri constituency, was a Jayalalithaa loyalist and one of her trustworthy party members.

Munusamy opposed the speech made by Divakaran at a Pongal event on Sunday, wherein the latter said that only Sasikala and her family members were instrumental in protecting the party from evil forces.

Munusamy told reporters that although O Panneerselvam has emerged as an accessible and effective chief minister, people within the party were creating trouble for him.

Munusamy was referring to changing political dynamics within the AIADMK where many MLAs and state ministers want Sasikala to take over as chief minister from Panneerselvam.

Soon after the press meet Food Minister Kamaraj alleged that Munusamy was never loyal to the high command. "He was never loyal to the high command. He is part of the efforts to break the party," he charged.

Handlooms Minister Manian said Munusamy's remarks amounted to affecting the party's discipline and said they were wrong and "condemnable."

Law Minister C Ve Shanmugam charged Munusamy with trying to make such statements "for some benefit." "Amma (Jayalalithaa) gave him minister post but he could not ensure AIADMK's win in the (2014) Lok Sabha polls (at Dharmapuri)," he said.