EPS, OPS factions clash over using party flag, symbol

Chennai, April 23 Amid dissidence and internal fights for supremacy, the Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS)-led AIADMK faction is petitioning the police against the O. Panneerselvam (OPS)-led group over using the party flag and symbol during its district conference at Tiruchi on Monday.

The OPS faction however retorted stating that it has every right to use the party symbol and the flag as it was the iconic founder leader of the party M.G. Ramachandran (MGR) who had designed them.

The EPS faction have already petitioned the Tiruchi district police authorities against the OPS faction using the party symbol and flag during the district conference.

The EPS side has petitioned the Tiruchi district police citing the Madras High Court order upholding the selection of Palaniswami as General secretary from the interim general secretary post that he was holding.

Former Tiruchy MP and South District secretary of the AIADMK, P. Kumar in his petition requested the police to prevent OPS and his faction using the party symbol and flag.

Kumar in the petition said: "OPS and his supporters have already been ousted from the party and hence they cannot use the party symbol and flag which is illegal.

"Let them organize any meeting on their own, but they cannot use AIADMK party flag and the symbol as they are not members of the party and at the same time always acting against the AIADMK."

The petitioner requested the City police commissioner to prevent OPS group from using the AIADMK flag and symbol during the programme.

However OPS faction leader, R.Vaithalingam while speaking to said that they were ready to face anything legally and would continue to use the party flag as EPS has not been given the final authority either by the Election Commission or the court.

"We will use the party name, flag, and symbol and we will use them in the Tiruchi conference of April 24. We are planning such conferences across the state and we would use the party name, flag, and symbol in all these conferences."

The former minister also said that the court has not set aside the appointment of OPS as the party coordinator and hence their faction was the real AIADMK.

Vaithalingam also said that they would face any legal issues related to the use of party name, flag, and symbol

aal/ksk.