Amidst the political turmoil in Tamil Nadu, AIADMK General Secretary and CM-in-waiting VK Sasikala sat down for a detailed interview with News18 Tamil Nadu’s Editor-in-Chief Gunasekaran. Narrating what happened in the past few days, and fielding questions on several issues, Sasikala accused O Pannerselvam of colluding with the DMK to weaken the AIADMK.
She pointed a finger at the Governor for the delay in her swearing-in. She said that multiple communiques and reminders from her have gone to his offices in Ooty, Chennai and Mumbai, staking claim of the government in Tamil Nadu, but there has been no response from him, except an acknowledgment. She said that she hoped the Governor would act according to the Constitution.
Recounting the sequence of events on Tuesday evening, she denied that OPS was forced to resign. She said that he was a ‘naked traitor’ for what he had done, and had never made any request of going to Jayalalithaa’s memorial before resigning, like he claimed.
Claiming that she decided to take over as Chief Minister after the recently concluded special session of the Assembly, Sasikala said she took the decision after OPS did not respond to DMK’s Durai Murugan’s statements on the floor of the House that the DMK would help OPS complete his term. “He should have said that we have come in with a majority, and we don't need your help,” she said. “They are our enemies,” she said, recounting the 1989 incident when Durai Murugan had physically assaulted Jayalalithaa in the TN assembly.
“It is clear that the DMK is behind OPS’s actions,” Sasikala alleged.
Addressing rumours about Jayalalithaa’s death, she broke down and said that her conscience is clear. She detailed as to how the former TN CM was given timely and the best available treatment. “I don't want to display how I took care of her. It's a personal matter,” she said, her eyes filling up with tears.
She also showed confidence in facing any inquiry over Jayalalithaa’s death.
She refused to comment about the DA case, but said that she is 100% confident of taking oath as the CM, “With Amma's blessings, I will do whatever she wanted to do for the Tamil people.”
Sasikala's interview came less than 24 hours after O Pannerselvam accused her for forcing him to resign as the Chief Minister. While OPS claimed that Sasikala was in a hurry to become the CM, Sasikala's version of events paints OPS as a DMK plant in the AIADMK.