Sidelined All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader TTV Dinakaran, who has been accused of using a middleman to bribe the Election Commission to lay claim to the party’s “two-leaves” symbol, was questioned by Delhi Police for 11 hours, reported PTI. Dinakaran was grilled from 2 pm on Sunday to 1 am on Monday, the news agency added.
The Delhi Police had on April 17 filed an FIR against Dinakaran after arresting Sukesh Chandrasekhar, the alleged middleman, from a hotel room in Delhi the previous day. Dinakaran has denied all allegations.
Meanwhile, both factions of the AIADMK – AIADMK-Amma and AIADMK-Puratchi Thalaivi Amma – will hold merger talks on Monday. A day earlier, Tamil Nadu Finance Minister D Jayakumar had offered to give up his post to O Panneerselvam, leader of the rival faction AIADMK-Puratchi Thalaivi Amma, The Economic Times reported. “If someone has to sacrifice for the welfare of the party, let it be me. I am ready to forego my portfolios for them (OPS faction),” he told reporters in Chennai on Sunday.
Last week, the Election Commission had frozen the party’s symbol until June 16, and advised both factions to iron out their issues. OPS’ faction had demanded the resignations of both VK Sasikala and Dinakaran, though it remains unclear if the two have actually quit the party. Reports came in on Monday morning that posters of Sasikala were removed from the party headquarters in Royapettah, Chennai.
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