Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Wednesday accused Sasikala's nephew TTV Dhinakaran of trying to capture power and the AIADMK organisation through the "backdoor" which, he said, will not succeed at any time.
Addressing a public meeting in Cuddalore organised in connection with the birth centenary celebrations of MGR, he said they would not be afraid of "threats" from anyone.
Palaniswami did not refer to anyone by name but it was obvious that it was a reference to Dhinakaran, who had been issuing threats to the Chief Minister and his ministers in the last few days about the stability of the government.
"There are some people who are trying to capture the government and the party through the backdoor. It is only day dreams. By no means their attempt will succeed. No one can shake the AIADMK government. We will not cow down to anybody's threats," he said.
Suggesting that Dhinakaran was trying to come to power without doing any party work, he said leaders like him had not "straight away" come to power.
He said he had joined AIADMK in 1976 and started as a Unit Secretary in his home town and gradually rose through the organisation in various posts. Like him, the other leaders in the government had also come through the grind in the party, he added.
"I have come up through hard work. I come from an agriculturist's family. I only know hard work," the Chief Minister said adding that his government had in a short period of time implemented a number of schemes.