Dhinakarn out on bail, says ministers' revolt was due to fear

Hosur (TN): AIADMK (Amma) leader TTV Dhinakaran, out on bail in a case of alleged bribery, Monday repeated his earlier claim that a section of state ministers had revolted against him due to "some fears" but declined to say what they were.

The AIADMK faction's Deputy General Secretary also made light of the defection of some functionaries including MLAs and MPs under former chief minister O Panneerselvam, saying it was "not at all a big" issue.

"But some ministers have some other problems and some other fear and in order to hide it they are telling I am the problem," he told reporters here enroute to Bengaluru to meet his jailed aunt and party chief V K Sasikala.

The "fears" were "selfish" in nature, he said, but declined to elaborate.

"I will tell you later" he said when reporters asked him what he meant when he talked about those "fears".

On April 19, senior Tamil Nadu cabinet Ministers had revolted against Dhinakaran and said he and his "family" -- an obvious reference to Sasikala -- will be kept out of the party and the government.

Dhinakaran had then too blamed some "fears" among ministers for their revolt.

The leader was released on bail by a Delhi court last week in a case of allegedly trying to bribe an Election Commission official to wrest the AIADMK's Two Leaves symbol.

He said he will plan his future course of action after meeting Sasikala and will base his actions on her guidance.

The former MP, who had earlier declared he had "stepped aside" following the ministers' revolt, today said "resurgent" party workers wanted him to continue performing.

"Supporters are our wealth and we work according to their will," he said.

Last week too, prior to leaving Delhi after being released on bail, Dhinakaran had insisted he would "continue party work."

"How I should work I will get the General Secretary's (Sasikala) guidance," he said today.

He was scheduled to meet Sasikala to "apprise" her of the "situation after 45 days", he said in an apparent reference to his being lodged in Tihar jail in Delhi in connection with the bribery case.

Dhinakaran said he "never had any intention of disturbing" the K Palaniswami government and that the Chief Minister himself was well aware of it.

To a question on opposition charges that the AIADMK government was toeing the central BJP government's line on many issues, he said Palaniswami and his cabinet colleagues should respond to the criticism but insisted AIADMK was "functioning independently".