Would accept leaders who want to return to party fold, says AIADMK

AIADMK Deputy General Secretary T T V Dinakaran on Thursday showed some flexibility in the context of rapprochement with expelled leader O Panneerselvam, saying the party would "accept with motherly affection" anybody who had gone out of the "parent organisation" and wanted to return.

Addressing reporters after formally taking over, he also fended off criticism that he was elevated "suddenly", saying he had been brought into the party by the late Chief Minster J Jayalalithaa in the early days itself and that he had been given various party posts and even made an MP by her.

Asked about Panneerselvam's plans to conduct state-wide campaign against the present AIADMK leadership, Dinakaran said the party had faced "betrayals" in the past too, but had successfully overcome them.

However, referring to the defection of MLAs and MPs to the Panneerselvam camp, he said that some had "lost their way and moved away from the mother movement."

"We have the confidence that anybody who had left the mother movement will return to our fold," Dinakaran said. Asked if Panneerselvam would also be allowed to return, he said "the party will receive with motherly affection and accept anybody who had left the parent organisation."