The rival factions of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) led by Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) and O Panneerselvam (OPS) are engaged in a heated argument in the court demanding the possession of the gold armour of freedom fighter and Thevar community leader Pasumbon Muthuramalingath Thevar.
Both factions have already locked horns over the leadership issue in the Supreme Court.
AIADMK treasurer and EPS team leader Dindigul Srinivasan filed a petition in the Madras High Court seeking an order to Bank of India, Madurai Annanagar branch to hand over the gold armour to them.
Subsequently, the OPS side filed an interim petition, which the court accepted citing the pending proceedings in the Supreme Court regarding the leadership of the party. The case is coming up for a hearing today.
While it is considered a matter of honour for OPS as he belongs to the Thevar community, EPS feels that it is important to prove that he is a stand-alone leader of the AIADMK.
Earlier, the agitating faction had separately petitioned the bank officials to open the locker and take out a 13-kg gold armour to decorate the statue of freedom fighter and spiritual leader Muthuramalingath Thevar. His birthday is on October 30.
AIADMK's tradition is to celebrate Thevar Jayanti on October 30 every year.
In 2014, the late former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa presented a gold shield on behalf of the armour party.
Since then, the AIADMK Treasurer was responsible for taking the armour from the Indian Bank locker in Madurai and sending it back.
Back on July 11, in the General Council meeting convened, EPS was elected as the interim General Secretary of the party. Before the meeting, supporters of both rival factions clashed outside the party headquarters. Following the violent clash, the headquarters was seized by the Revenue Divisional Officer.
The August 17 judgement by a single bench of Justice G Jayachandran had nullified the July 11 meeting and ordered status quo, as prior to July 11. EPS camp then challenged the single bench judgement to a division bench of Madras High Court which ruled in favour of EPS.
Both factions of the AIADMK have urged the Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker M Appavu to identify them as real AIADMK. The matter is pending in the Supreme Court.
( With inputs from ANI )
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