Delhi police books bribery case against Dhinakaran on symbol issue

New Delhi: AIADMK (Amma) Deputy General Secretary TTV Dhinakaran has been booked by Crime Branch of Delhi Police following the arrest of a middleman from a five-star hotel in Delhi on Sunday, April 16, 2017. The FIR was filed for allegedly bribing the middleman to get the Election Commission to allot the Two Leaves symbol allotted to his faction.

Coming after the cancellation of the crucial RK Nagar bypoll, earlier scheduled for April 12, on charges of voter bribery, voices against Dhinakaran and his aunt V K Sasikala have gathered steam and could drive more MLAs and ministers to the opposing AIADMK faction led by former chief minister O Panneerselvam (OPS) and his party, AIADMK (Puratchithalaivi Amma).

Dhinakaran was booked following the arrest of Sukesh Chandrasekhar, a middleman, from a five-star hotel in Delhi on Sunday. The Election Commission had frozen AIADMK’s ‘two leaves’ symbol after the two factions led by Sasikala and former chief minister O Panneerselvam staked claim to it.

Meanwhle, Dhinakaran said on April 17 that he would fight the case legally and alleged that efforts were being made to “destroy our organisation politically”.

The leader of the V K Sasikala faction of the ruling party also claimed he did not know Sukesh Chandrasekhar, a middleman arrested by the Delhi police in this matter. “I will answer if I get summons. I will face it legally. How does a broker or somebody say the money was from TTV Dhinakaran? I don’t know anybody by that name nor have I come across any such name in my life,” he said.

He claimed efforts were on to “destroy our organisation politically,” but said he was not aware who was doing so. “Such information is being spread to destroy our organisation politically. It is basically wrong to say that Sukesh has spoken to me. I don’t know any such person. I don’t know what is the plan and who is doing it,” Dinakaran, on his way to meet his aunt and jailed party chief Sasikala at Bengaluru, said.

He also denied the bribery charges, saying “I didn’t bribe anybody.” The Election Commission had frozen AIADMK’s ‘two leaves’ symbol after the two factions led by Sasikala and former chief minister O Panneerselvam staked claim to it. The bypoll to the R K Nagar Assembly constituency in Tamil Nadu was scheduled for April 12, but the EC cancelled it, saying the electoral process had been “seriously vitiated” by parties through use of money power.

Dinakaran was the candidate of the Sasikala faction. The seat fell vacant after the death of then chief minister J Jayalalithaa on December 5.

A senior leader in the OPS camp, wishing anonymity, said, “Things are moving at breakneck speed. Dhinakaran and Sasikala have been given an ultimatum to quit by their own supporters, many of whom are in touch with our leadership.”

The leader said,  “this Delhi police case has surely come as an unexpected bonus. More AIADMK Sasikala faction people are now talking about unification to save the party”.

Meanwhile, DMK spokesperson, A Saravanan said it was for the first time in the history of electoral politics in Tamil Nadu that a politician has tried to bring “such disrepute to the high office of the election commission” and also to “political parties in Tamil Nadu”.

At least 12 ministers have asked Sasikala's nephew to quit party posts. On Sunday night, more MLAs came out openly asking the Sasikala and Dhinakaran duo to step down.