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Jayalalithaa revokes Sasikala’s expulsion
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader J Jayalalithaa yesterday revoked the suspension of her long-time aide V K Sasikala from the party.
But Jayalalithaa reiterated that action taken against Sasikala relatives and close associates would continue.
Jayalalithaa said in a statement that Sasikala had sent her a letter which was accepted by her. Sasikala later revealed the contents of the letter.
The chief minister said the disciplinary action against Sasikala taken last December has been revoked.
However, the disciplinary action against close relatives of Sasikala, including against her husband M Natarajan and others, would continue and party members were advised not to have any contacts with them, Jayalalithaa said in her statement.
Her change of heart came after Sasikala wrote a letter to her and later issued a statement on March 28 declaring that she wants to keep serving the Tamil Nadu chief minister.
Sasikala also said she had severed her connections with her relatives. She said those who thought of betraying Jayalalithaa cannot be pardoned.
In her statement, Sasikala said she never dreamt of betraying the trust Jayalalithaa reposed in her and it had shocked her that her relatives had misused the AIADMK leader’s position.
According to Sasikala, it was only in December, after Jayalalithaa cracked down on her family members, that she realised her relatives and friends had misused her proximity to the chief minister.
In December, Jayalalithaa sacked Sasikala and several others from the party without giving any reason.
Sasikala had to leave Jayalalithaa’s house where she had been living with the actor-turned-politician since 1988.
Jayalalithaa told party members at the time not to have any contact with Sasikala and her associates.
Later, police started acting on complaints against the relatives of Sasikala. Her husband Natarajan and some close relatives were arrested on several charges.
At the bureaucratic level, there were large-scale transfers following the action against Sasikala and company.
At the party’s general council meeting held in December, Jayalalithaa in an oblique reference to Sasikala and her relatives and associates said there were politicians who after being chucked out of the party threaten other members to behave as if they would be back again in the party.
Jayalalithaa declared that such people will never be pardoned and those party activists who believe such people will also not be pardoned.
At that time, political commentators like Cho Ramaswamy and Gnani said the snapping of relationship between Jayalalithaa and her long-time confidante might be final.
When contacted for his reaction to yesterday’s development Ramaswamy said: “I have no comments to make.”
However, some political observers had said that removing a person from the party and readmitting him or her again is nothing new and that the same could happen with Sasikala and her group.
It will be interesting to see whether Sasikala would re-enter Jayalalithaa’s house at Poes Garden located in the heart of Chennai.
Gnani said: “Jayalalithaa still owes an explanation to the people as to why she dumps a person and takes him/her back.”
Party officials declined to comment on the latest development.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader J Jayalalithaa yesterday revoked the suspension of her long-time aide V K Sasikala from the party.
But Jayalalithaa reiterated that action taken against Sasikala relatives and close associates would continue.
Jayalalithaa said in a statement that Sasikala had sent her a letter which was accepted by her. Sasikala later revealed the contents of the letter.
The chief minister said the disciplinary action against Sasikala taken last December has been revoked.
However, the disciplinary action against close relatives of Sasikala, including against her husband M Natarajan and others, would continue and party members were advised not to have any contacts with them, Jayalalithaa said in her statement.
Her change of heart came after Sasikala wrote a letter to her and later issued a statement on March 28 declaring that she wants to keep serving the Tamil Nadu chief minister.
Sasikala also said she had severed her connections with her relatives. She said those who thought of betraying Jayalalithaa cannot be pardoned.
In her statement, Sasikala said she never dreamt of betraying the trust Jayalalithaa reposed in her and it had shocked her that her relatives had misused the AIADMK leader’s position.
According to Sasikala, it was only in December, after Jayalalithaa cracked down on her family members, that she realised her relatives and friends had misused her proximity to the chief minister.
In December, Jayalalithaa sacked Sasikala and several others from the party without giving any reason.
Sasikala had to leave Jayalalithaa’s house where she had been living with the actor-turned-politician since 1988.
Jayalalithaa told party members at the time not to have any contact with Sasikala and her associates.
Later, police started acting on complaints against the relatives of Sasikala. Her husband Natarajan and some close relatives were arrested on several charges.
At the bureaucratic level, there were large-scale transfers following the action against Sasikala and company.
At the party’s general council meeting held in December, Jayalalithaa in an oblique reference to Sasikala and her relatives and associates said there were politicians who after being chucked out of the party threaten other members to behave as if they would be back again in the party.
Jayalalithaa declared that such people will never be pardoned and those party activists who believe such people will also not be pardoned.
At that time, political commentators like Cho Ramaswamy and Gnani said the snapping of relationship between Jayalalithaa and her long-time confidante might be final.
When contacted for his reaction to yesterday’s development Ramaswamy said: “I have no comments to make.”
However, some political observers had said that removing a person from the party and readmitting him or her again is nothing new and that the same could happen with Sasikala and her group.
It will be interesting to see whether Sasikala would re-enter Jayalalithaa’s house at Poes Garden located in the heart of Chennai.
Gnani said: “Jayalalithaa still owes an explanation to the people as to why she dumps a person and takes him/her back.”
Party officials declined to comment on the latest development.
