Jayalalithaa expels Sasikala Pushpa from AIADMK

In a brief statement, Jayalalithaa said that Sasikala, a Rajya Sabha MP, was being expelled from all party posts, including primary membership, as she had acted in violation of the party principles and ethics for “bringing disrepute to the party. “Her behaviour has brought great disrepute to the party,” the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister said in Chennai. She asked party supporters not to have any truck henceforth with the Thoothukudi-based MP. 

Meanwhile, in the Rajya Sabha, Sasikala alleged she was being forced to resign from the “constitutional post”. She first rushed into the Well of the House to get permission to make her statement and then broke down several times as she said she faced “life threat”. She, however, did not make it clear who slapped her and when. Outside Rajya Sabha, Sasikala claimed her expulsion had no link with the airport incident involving Siva, also a Rajya Sabha MP, and that pressure was being put on her for the last two months to resign. 

Raising the issue in the Upper House, she said “If an MP is being slapped, where is human dignity,” triggering strong protest from members of her own party. 

Even as she found support in Opposition members who wanted the chair to allow her to make her full submission, A Navaneethakrishnan (AIADMK) walked to the Well and away from it multiple times demanding that her remarks be expunged. 

“Where is women’s safety in this country? I am being harassed. I am being compelled to resign from my constitutional post,” she claimed. Sasikala said she was thankful to her party leader for sending her to Rajya Sabha. “I want to serve the country (and not resign),” she said. 

Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien asked her not to mention anyone’s name who cannot come to the House to defend himself or herself.