I have got my freedom and party can move forward: Anbumani Ramadoss

PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss.
| Photo Credit: S.R. RAGHUNATHAN

A day after PMK founder S. Ramadoss lamented that making his son Anbumani Ramadoss a Union Minister at 35 was a mistake, the latter responded by saying: “I have got my freedom since yesterday.”

Addressing a meeting of party office-bearers from Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Ranipet, and Vellore districts at a private banquet hall in Sholinganallur, Dr. Anbumani reiterated that all appointments made within the party, including president, general secretary, and treasurer, could only be made by the party’s general council. [Dr. Ramadoss had earlier said he was taking over as ‘president’ while his son would be the ‘working president’ of the party.]

“I have been mentally stressed since the day I became party president. I got my freedom yesterday. From today, we can move forward with speed. At the same time, we will follow the policies and ideologies of Dr. Ayya (Ramadoss). Our immediate goal is to strengthen our party. Our alliance should get a massive victory. Then, we should come to power in Tamil Nadu,” he said.

Referring to letters being circulated for the removal of office-bearers and appointment of new ones, Dr. Anbumani said: “We have been appointed by the general body, and you are the general body. Today, there was a letter saying that Thilagabama has been removed as the treasurer. I announced immediately that she would continue as the party’s treasurer, because neither I nor anyone else has the power to remove her from the post.”

He added: “The president, general secretary, and treasurer are elected by the general council of the party. This is given in the party’s by-laws, which were registered with the Election Commission of India.”

Dr. Anbumani further presented a letter to an office-bearer, who was reportedly removed from the post of district secretary. “Nobody can change you. Only the party president can remove you. Only this letter is valid.”

He further underlined that the decision taken purportedly by Dr. Ramadoss to ally with the AIADMK and the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha election as the reason why the party couldn’t sustain the momentum gained by the ‘Maatram Munnetram Anbumani’ campaign of party, which positioned Dr. Anbumani as the party’s Chief Ministerial candidate. “If we had done the same campaign again in 2019, we would have been in power now. We couldn’t do it then. You all know why…I don’t want to talk about it now,” he said.

Reacting to Dr. Ramadoss’ accusation that Dr. Anbumani attacked his mother during an argument, he said: “I have faced a lot of sorrows and insults and carried unthinkable allegations in my life. It has only made me stronger and mature. I love my mother very much, and she likes me the most. I will not allow even a scratch on her. I will overcome that (allegation) as well. The district secretaries and presidents don’t have to worry about being removed. If you get a letter removing you, you will get another confirming your appointment within 10 minutes. We have to take the party to the next level,” he said. He urged office-bearers to undertake a membership drive across Tamil Nadu.

MLA backtracks

In a related development, PMK MLA from Salem West R. Arul, who announced that he would resign from his post on Friday, withdrew his decision on the advice of Dr. Ramadoss.

After making the announcement, Mr. Arul met Dr. Ramadoss at his Thailapuram residence in Villupuram district. Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Arul said the PMK founder asked him not to resign. Besides, Dr. Anbumani’s close aides asked him not to step down as MLA, he added.

Meanwhile, PMK MLA from Mettur constituency S. Sathasivam told journalists that it was up to Mr. Arul to decide what he wanted to do.

“We do not know whether Mr. Ramadoss accepts this decision. I am participating in the meeting convened by Mr. Anbumani in Chennai on Saturday,” he said.