Chennai, Jun 28 (IANS): With the DMK facing embarrassment on several issues due to the actions of some party leaders and cadres, party President and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has taken initiative to clean the party of "unruly elements" who had brought disrepute to the party.
In a recent issue, DMK's Tirunelvelli MP S. Gnanathiraviam, along with his supporters, created a ruckus and assaulted a priest, in a power struggle within the Church of South India. Police registered an FIR and the MP was issued a show cause notice by the DMK General Secretary S. Durai Murugan.
Many local DMK cadres were either expelled or suspended from party activities after complaints came pouring in on their association with the land mafia, bootleggers, single digit lottery mafia and hobnobbing with financiers as their recovery agents.
Recently, DMK platform stage speaker, Sivaji Krishnamurthy was expelled from the party after he spoke badly of actor turned politician and Member of National Women’s Commission ,Khushbu Sundar. He had earlier personally attacked Governor R.N. Ravi using foul language.
A DMK woman councillor had complained that former Deputy Mayor of Madurai corporation, MISA Pandian had issued death threats to her. Stalin immediately acted and suspended him from party activities.
The fight between Rajya Sabha member Tiruchi Siva with Tamil Nadu Minister K.N. Nehru is public. But, recently the supporters of Nehru ransacked the residence of Siva and injured a few of the latter's supporters.
Sources in the DMK told IANS that the Chief Minister had directed all the party District Secretaries to take immediate action against any party leader or cadre who had acted against the principles put forward by the party. With the 2024 Lok Sabha polls a few months away and the DMK calling for nothing short of a win in all the 39 seats in the state, the party has to sacrifice the black sheep and to present a more amicable public face.
The Chief Minister, who is doing a commendable job in running the administration, does not want the party cadres and lower level leaders to spoil the face of the party at least till the 2024 Lok Sabha elections are over.