After undertaking a journey of almost 23 hours from Bengaluru, VK Sasikala, former General Secretary of AIADMK and aide of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, reached Chennai on Tuesday morning. Her journey between Bengaluru and Chennai was interspersed with welcome events, so much that she reportedly made at least 30 pitstops. On her arrival in Chennai around 6.30 am on Tuesday, she received a grand welcome from her supporters as well as some AIADMK cadres.
Sasikala, who was released in the disproportionate assets case from the Parappana Agrahara prison in Bengaluru, took 23 hours to travel through a stretch that can otherwise be covered within six to seven hours. However, Sasikala stopped at every point to greet party members and accept their welcome. She was welcomed with various events on the way, including drone show, firecrackers and floral reception.
On Monday, Sasikala started her journey from Bengaluru at 7.30 am, but was soon stopped at Jujuvadi in Krishnagiri district since there was an AIADMK flag hoisted on her vehicle, despite a warning from the party. However, Sasikala’s advocate Raja Senthoor Pandian soon intervened and ensured a smooth journey.
From Krishnagiri, she crossed Thirupattur, Vellore and Sriperumbadur to reach Chennai. During the journey, Sasikala told party members in the presence of media persons, “Just like how Amma (J Jayalalithaa) asked us to run the AIADMK for another 100 years after her, in order to continue her legacy, I'll live the rest of my life for the development of the party, following the principles that family is party and party is family. All the children of Jayalalithaa are my children too.”
“The party has undergone a lot of difficulties and in all those times we should take a resolution to submit our success at the feet of Jayalalithaa. No matter how many challenges we face, we will have to face them with the blessing of Jayalalithaa,” she said while sitting in the car.
On arriving the capital city of Tamil Nadu, Sasikala first visited the home of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MG Ramachandran at Ramapuram and paid floral tributes to the late leader. From Ramapuram, she travelled to her relative Vivek’s home in T Nagar, where she is expected to continue for her stay in Chennai.
However, Sasikala could not visit Jayalalithaa’s Poes Garden house due to the Madras High Court order against allowing public into the home. Also, Sasikala could not visit Jayalalitha's memorial as it has been closed due to maintenance works.
Meanwhile, AIADMK expelled the party members who went to greet Sasikala. Among the people, Dhakshnamoorthy, AIADMK district general secretary who offered his car for Sasikala to travel to Chennai, was sacked by the party. In Krishnagiri and Sulagiri, party members Sambangi, MGR youth wing secretary; Chandrasekara Reddy, agricultural wing secretary; Janaki Ravendra Reddy, district representative; Prashanth Kumar, town IT wing in-charge; AV Nagaraj, leader of youth and young women wing; and V Anand, a member of AIADMK, were expelled.