Karur: DMK President M K Stalin on Tuesday continued to target Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam over conducting a 'yagna' at his office in the Secretariat, saying the AIADMK leader must have performed it to "escape" from a case in the Supreme Court.
Irked over the fresh attack, the ruling AIADMK ridiculed Stalin for raking up the issue, saying it amounted to being "childish."
On Sunday, Stalin had claimed that the 'yagna' (havan) might have been conducted to get the "Chief Minister's post."
Speaking at a Gram Sabha meeting in Karur district on Tuesday, Stalin said with the coming Lok Sabha polls, "there are chances that the Assembly elections will also be held along with it."
"Because the case relating to 11 MLAs, including Panneerselvam, is hanging in the balance in the Supreme Court. That is why he performed a yagna at Fort St George two days back. He performed it to somehow escape (from the case)," Stalin claimed.
Stalin was apparently indicating that a possible disqualification of the 11 legislators could pave the way for elections, as already 18 rebel AIADMK MLAs who expressed no confidence against Palaniswami in August 2017 have been disqualified, with their constituencies falling vacant.
The DMK had moved the Supreme Court for a direction to Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal to disqualify Panneerselvam and 10 other AIADMK MLAs for voting against the confidence motion moved by Chief Minister K Palaniswami in February 2017.
The Madras High Court had in September 2018 upheld their disqualification by the Speaker.
Stalin said he was not bothered whether a yagna was performed or Panneerselvam just offered prayers as long as it was done at the AIADMK leader's residence.
The Fort St.George, which houses the State Secretariat, was not the Deputy Chief Minister's personal property, Stalin said, adding it was functioning on taxpayers' money. "People will not tolerate such things," he added.
Responding to Stalin's persistent criticism, the AIADMK wondered what was wrong with someone "praying to God."
Senior party leader and Tamil Nadu Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar, who had earlier dismissed Stalin's claims on the matter as "rumour," asked how one could conclude that smoke from a frankincense or camphor amounted to a yagna.
"Praying to God... how can it be wrong. People of Tamil Nadu think why there are such childish leaders," he told reporters.
There were many employees' associations in the Secretariat and some even celebrate 'Ayudha Pooja', which involves frankincense, among other pooja materials, he added.
Jayakumar had earlier hit out at the DMK chief, saying, "Who saw the conduct of the yagna? What is the evidence for it? Stalin's 'yagna,' claim is both unauthentic and a rumour."
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