I won't share grouse like Sengottaiyan: Sellur Raju

MADURAI: AIADMK ex-minister Sellur K Raju on Sunday said that the expulsion of senior leader KA Sengottaiyan was appreciated by all cadre and noted that the decision was taken in the interest of party unity.

Speaking to reporters in Madurai, Raju said he, too, has a grievance, but would share it with AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami and won't discuss it with the media, like Sengottaiyan.

The party chief has taken the action at an appropriate time, knowing what was best for the organisation, he added. Every member, he said, must remain obedient to the leadership and avoid airing internal differences in public. “If there is any resentment, it should be taken directly to the attention of the general secretary and not to the media,” he said.

He added that while differences of opinion and ego clashes were natural in politics, defeating DMK in the upcoming elections must be the sole aim. The ruling party is trying to exploit AIADMK’s internal issues for political advantage ahead of the Assembly election, Sellur Raju alleged.

He criticised Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin for not visiting paddy fields affected by monsoon rains in the Delta region, saying that Palaniswami, as Leader of the Opposition, had inspected the damaged fields and sought relief for farmers. The State government, he said, responded only after Palaniswami’s visit.