Ousted and jailed AIADMK leader VK Sasikala has issued a legal notice to her brother V Dhivaharan, warning him against spreading “lies” and “rumours” about her and asking him refrain from using her name or photograph for his political agenda. She has threatened legal action against him if he continues to use her name or image.
Her legal notice has come in the wake of Dhivaharan accusing RK Nagar MLA and leader of the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam TTV Dhinakaran of running a one-man-show in his breakaway party. In a recent interview, Mannargudi-based Dhivaharan made it clear that he was not in favour of Dhinakaran’s party.
The legal notice issued by Sasikala’s counsel Raja Senthoor Pandian reads that Dhivaharan, who is not even a member of the party, should refrain from spreading “lies” about Sasikala and not make statements like “she is in a dark place”, “she does not have political experience”, “her time as party secretary is over” or “she has no say over TTV Dinakaran’s actions”. It does not befit his age or his family background, the notice says.
It also says that Dhivaharan has been openly showing his support for OPS-EPS faction, who have been filing “false” cases against Sasikala.
The legal notice talks at length about how Sasikala has been the trusted aide of former CM J Jayalalithaa for over 34 years and that after her demise she intended to stay away from politics, but responsibilities were thrust upon her by party members. The legal notice also adds that the AIADMK and its 1.5 crore members come first for Sasikala and that her family are secondary to it.
In the past few weeks, Dhivaharan has been locking horns with TTV Dhinakaran and her faction. He has claimed that J Jayalalithaa had passed away a day before it was officially announced and also said that he would never be a part of Dhinakaran’s party. “This Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam has been created secretly without informing any subordinates or district secretaries. It has been created only for his family members,” he had said.
Political observers say that Sasikala’s legal notice and Dhivaharan’s verbal attacks on TTV Dhinakaran are seen to be benefitting the latter, not just because Sasikala has admonished Dhivaharan, but also because TTV Dhinakaran can now claim to have left his family baggage behind. The Mannargudi family continues to have a problematic image, with DMK and AIADMK members attacking it for institutionalised corruption.