A leaked phone conversation purportedly between a senior AIADMK leader C Ponnaiyan and a party functionary has created ripples in the AIADMK. In the clip, a voice purportedly belonging to Ponnaiyan says that the party leaders are behind money. The audio comes amidst the ongoing fight between Edappadi K Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam, and just one day after EPS was elected as the interim General Secretary of the AIADMK. The audio was released by OPS supporter Kolathur Krishnamoorthy during a press meet held at OPS's residence on Tuesday, July 12. The audio conversation was purportedly between Ponnaiyan and OPS supporter Nanjil SK Kolappan.
In the leaked audio, the man believed to be Ponnaiyan is heard saying that while the party cadre are faithful, the leaders are not. He names leaders such as Thangamani and KP Munusamy as having ties with DMK party, in order to save themselves from cases and to protect their money. “The party has gone from one rich person to another. The party leaders are more focused on personal development rather than that of the party,” the person is heard saying in the 12-minute long audio.
However, in a late-night press conference, Ponnaiyan denied that it was his voice in the audio, and said, “Voice modulation technology has been used and the audio is doctored to defame me and the AIADMK party functioning under Edappadi K Palaniswami. Neither the voice in the audio clip nor the content in it is mine,” he said.
C Ponnaiyan (Pic: Facebook)
However, OPS supporter Kolappan, speaking to Puthiya Thalaimurai TV, claimed the conversation between him and Ponnaiyan was real, and that no one mimicked his voice. “Both of our voices are heard in the audio, so are both the voices mimicked? Also, I don’t have any feelings of hatred towards him to go to this extent,” he said, adding that there were other audio clips but he did not intend to release them.
On July 11, both EPS and OPS sacked each other from the AIADMK. After Edappadi K Palaniswami was made the interim general secretary of the AIADMK, the general council of the AIADMK passed a special resolution sacking O Panneerselvam and his supporters from primary membership of the party. On the other hand, O Panneerselvam, who was at the party headquarters, announced that he was sacking Edappadi Palaniswami and senior leader KP Munusamy from the party. Soon after this high-end drama, expelled AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa’s close aide VK Sasikala said that the post of interim general secretary created for EPS was invalid and instead she should be made the leader of the party.