DMK suspends functionary for greeting rebel leader Azhagiri

CHENNAI: The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Tuesday reacted strongly against a member who greeted sidelined rebel leader MK Azhagiri at the Chennai airport. A statement from party’s general secretary K Anbazhagan, hours after M Ravi, the area secretary of Velachery, welcomed Azhagiri at the airport, said, “Ravi is being suspended from the DMK for bringing disrepute to the party.”

Anbazhagan, 96, is a contemporary of DMK patriarch, late M Karunanidhi. The development comes just a day ahead of Azhagiri’s crucial rally, which is being billed as ‘a show of strength’. He is upset with his younger brother and party president MK Stalin for not taking him back into the party fold, in spite of his protestations of loyalty and a public statement accepting Stalin’s leadership.

“MK Azhagiri will teach a fitting lesson to his younger brother. All these days Azhagiri was against Stalin, but now he has openly accepted Thalapathi (commander, referring to Stalin) as the DMK leader. If Karunanidhi was alive, he would have forgiven Azhagiri. With bypolls approaching, the party should accept Azhagiri,” said a member of the Congress, which is an alliance partner of the DMK. PM Mannan, former Madurai deputy mayor and an Azhagiri loyalist, said, “Annan Anja Nenjam (Azhagiri) will prove his might in Chennai on September 5 (Wednesday). Thousands of cadres will throng the capital.”