'Instant sambar, idli': Dhinakaran mocks aunt Sasikala's new party launch

AMMK leader TTV Dhinakaran on Wednesday mocked his aunt V K Sasikala launching her new political party in Tamil Nadu, likening it to "instant sambar” and “instant idli”. He said NDA's prospects at the upcoming election will not be affected by it.

Sasikala made a comeback into politics by launching her own party to celebrating late chief minister J Jayalalithaa's 78th birth anniversary in Ramanathapuram’s Kamuthi.

Her party flag carried the images of former Chief Ministers C N Annadurai, M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa, and targeted AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, who had expelled her from the party.

While interacting with the media, Dhinakaran said, “many new parties are emerging suddenly like instant sambar and instant idli. Anyone can start a party in a democracy."

He claimed that no one could stop Jayalalithaa's true followers from standing together and forming "Amma’s government".

“All the true followers of Amma - the AMMK and AIADMK - are solidly together in facing the upcoming Assembly election. We will establish Amma’s rule in the state,” Dhinakaran told reporters in Tirunelveli on Tuesday.

Dhanikaran further added “the true colours of those who all along have been claiming to install Amma’s rule in the state, now stand exposed.", but did not name anyone.

Dhinakaran, who is son of Sasikala’s sister, Vanithamani, however, had earlier defended his aunt with regard to the 2017 crisis in the AIADMK and claimed that then Chief Minister O Panneerselvam had resigned due to pressure from his own ministerial colleagues and not because of Sasikala.

Both Sasikala and Dhinakaran were expelled from the AIADMK by Panneerselvam and Palaniswami in August 2017, and later Palaniswami, who gained complete control of the AIADMK, removed Panneerselvam from the AIADMK in July 2022.

While launching her own party only months before the Tamil Nadu Assembly election, Sasikala said, "We are going to witness a new political chapter."

"As far as I'm concerned, I have made a clear decision, it is for the sake of Tamil Nadu, its people and for our cadres; we are going to witness a new arena (chapter), we are going to start a new party, this will be a Dravidian party," she added.