Rumblings in the DMK

DMK on Friday suspended party chief Karunanidhi’s son M K Alagiri from all party posts and primary membership, telling him that his opposition to DMK DMDK alliance is not going be taken lightly. In a veiled warning to his son on January 7, Karnunanidhi had said those going against party diktat will face action.

Continuing his defiant stance, DMK chief M Karunanidhi’s older son M K Alagiri, who was suspended from the party on Friday for indiscipline and airing views against the DMDK, a possibly ally, said on Saturday that the DMK’s prospects in the Lok Sabha elections were rather dim.
Asked whether he would contest the polls or field rebel candidates against the DMK, he told reporters at his residence in Neelankarai here that the party would “lose on its own”.
The future course of action would be chalked out at his birthday celebration meeting, scheduled in Madurai for January 30, he said and added that it would be intimated to the media the following day. His supporters were working towards making his birthday a gala celebration, and say it would be a muscle-flexing exercise for Alagiri to display his sway over sections in the party.
While controversial posters on Madurai city walls contributed to the stringent action against Alagiri and his supporters, a new set sprung up in the temple city, stoking the fire further. One poster with a huge portrait of Alagiri declared January 30, his birthday, as ‘Ulaga Uthamar Thinam’ (World Righteous Person Day). It said, “Annane! Nee kaattum Vazhiyil nangal’’(We will travel in the path you show).
Another poster punned the honorific ``Anjanenjar’’ used by his supporters to address Alagiri and coined the term ``Kenjanenjare’’, meaning the one who doesn’t plead. Yet another poster calling him ``Kazhagathin uthirame,’’ (blood of the party) also said cadres were ready to fulfill his wishes. One poster that had a lot of unfamiliar faces of partymen said ``Vaazhnthalum Veezhthalum endrum Anjanenjarin Vazhiyil (Life or death, we follow the path of the brave heart).
In his interaction with reporters on Saturday, Alagiri reiterated his charge that democracy was dead in the DMK. He wondered why when action was taken against him and his supporters for airing views about the party leadership, the same yardstick was not followed for younger brother and party treasurer M K Stalin or his supporters for projecting him as the future president of the party and future chief minister of the state. He alleged there was large scale irregularities in DMK’s organisational polls and claimed he would expose it. Though the party high command promised him to probe the charges, nothing was done, he said.