Tamil Nadu
The MGR celebrations is observed with much pomp and show across Tamil Nadu. However, the celebrations in Theni have a political significance. Although the place of origin of Deputy Chief minister O Panneerselvam, the region sings praises of TTV Dhinakaran loyalist Thangam Tamilselvan, who won from Andipatti seat in the 2016 Assembly election.
The minister, incidentally, had organised a public meeting scheduled to be attended by Dhinakaran in the same venue in August this year, but was called off due to some political development in the party.
However, today thousands of party functionaries attended the celebrations, expressing their unity with Panneerselvam. Speaking at the occassion, the leader said, "We have all gathered here to fight against the attempt by a family to hijack the party.” The family had also tried to gain political mileage creating controversy on adorning gold ‘kavacham (armour)’ to the statue of Muthuramalinga Thevar during the latter’s Jayanthi celebrations recently, but ‘we defeated it."
Alleging that the family party was attempting to freeze the two-leaves symbol of AIADMK by producing false affidavits to the ECI, OPS said, "Within next few days we will receive good news". The party cadres raised a huge applause when the minister said that AIADMK cannot be destabilised in any way. Meanwhile, CM Palaniswami also charged at the opposition leader M K Stalin for repeatedly making statements that the government will fall sooner than later, indicating that the state is facing natural calamities like flood and drought after EPS came to power. To this, Palaniswami said, "He had served in the capacity of Chennai Mayor for five years and also Local Administration minister for another five years; did he ever think about Chennai then."
He further added, "If Stalin would have had travelled across Chennai and improved the facilities, we would not have faced such situation today." He also said that the government has been taking all steps to address the people's problems.