O Raja re-inducted under 'forget and forgive' policy after he expressed regret

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O Pannerselvam's brother, who was sacked last week, was re-inducted into the AIADMK following the "forget and forgive" policy, the ruling party said on Wednesday.

However, this would not apply to deposed party leaders V K Sasikala and her nephew TTV Dhinakaran and they would never be re-inducted, senior AIADMK leader and state Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar told reporters in Chennai.

O Raja was re-inducted into the party only after he had expressed regret for his action, Jayakumar said, but refused to divulge what kind of 'anti-party activity' actually prompted the leadership to sack him.

"If a sacked party functionary gives a (regret) letter, what the party will do-- it will consider his regret and the request for re-induction," he told reporters in Chennai.

He was responding to questions on Raja returning to the party fold in just about five days after his expulsion last week, and said such things had happened during the time of the late AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa also.

Raja was re-inducted in line with the "forget and forgive policy," Jayakumar added. "This is not a big issue. He expressed regret and the party took a decision (accordingly to take him back)," the minister said.

Raja was removed from all posts and the AIADMK's primary membership by AIADMK coordinator Panneerselvam and the joint coordinator, Chief Minister K Palanisamy, on December 19 for "going against the party's policies and bringing disrepute to it."

However, Raja was re-admitted Monday after he expressed regret for his action in person and through a letter, and requested that he be re-inducted into the party.

Asked if such a yardstick applied for Sasikala and her nephew Dhinakaran, Jayakumar replied in the negative.

"Anyone other than these two, if they express regret, will be taken back," he said. The AIADMK has already made it clear that even those siding with Dhinakaran post his fallout with Chief Minister Palanisamy last year, were welcome to return to the AIADMK, but the leader was not welcome.

Post his fallout, Dhinakaran had floated the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam. Eighteen AIADMK MLAs owing allegiance to him were disqualified by Speaker P Dhanapal last year after they revolted against the chief minister. The Madras High Court recently upheld the disqualification.