Sasikala returns to TN after four years to grand reception

Expelled AIADMKleader V K Sasikala on Monday returned to Tamil Nadu to agrand reception, days after completing her four-year jail termin Bengaluru in a corruption case, amid indications of aconfrontation with the ruling party which she once controlled.

Sasikala, a close aide of late Chief Minister JJayalalithaa, crossed into Tamil Nadu at Athipalli inKrishnagiri district bordering Karnataka, around 10 am as hersupporters broke into celebrations, dancing to drum beats andshowering flower petals on her convoy.

She later offered prayers at a Goddess Mariamman templein Hosur town in the district, about 40 kms from Bengaluru.

Her nephew T T V Dhinakaran, who accompanied her, saidshe would visit the residence of AIADMK founder and late ChiefMinister M G Ramachandran in Chennai later.

He claimed several AIADMK functionaries turned up towelcome Sasikala and that she was travelling in the vehicle ofone of the ruling party functionaries after her car developedsome issue.

Sasikala's return to Tamil Nadu is being keenly watchedfor political impact as it comes at a time when the assemblyelections in the state are to be held in the next few months.

She underwent her sentence in the Rs 66.65 croredisproportionate assets case at the Parapana Agrahara centralprison in Bengaluru since February, 2017 and was set free onJanuary 27.

However, she remained at the Government VictoriaHospital, where she had been admitted after testing positivefor COVID-19 while under judicial custody.

She was discharged from the hospital on January 31 afterwhich she stayed at a resort, about 35 km from Bengaluru.

On Monday morning, she left the resort, accompanied byDhinakaran, also the general secretary of Amma Makkal MunnetraKazhagam, in a convoy of around 200 vehicles as her supportersraised slogans hailing her.

Before leaving, Sasikala offered floral tributes to aportrait of Jayalalithaa.

Clad in a green colour saree, the favourite hue ofJayalalithaa, and wearing a face mask, she travelled in a carthat sported the AIADMK flag over the bonnet, disregarding thewarning by the ruling party in Tamil Nadu against its use bynon-members.

The AIADMK has recently petitioned the Tamil Nadu policeseeking to restrain 'non-members' of the party from using itsflag after Sasikala travelled in a car sporting the flag onher discharge from a hospital in Bengaluru on January 31.

However, Dhinakaran has defended it, saying shecontinued to remain the AIADMK general secretary, pointing topetitions pending in court over her 'expulsion'.

'Chinnamma', as she is fondly addressed by her followers,was greeted by a large gathering of people who waved both theAIADMK and AMMK flags as she entered Tamil Nadu.

At several locations along the road to Hosur, welcomearches were erected to greet Sasikala while scores of peopleturned up to have a glimpse of her.

A festive atmosphere gripped the towns in the borderdistrict of Krishnagiri in western Tamil Nadu with banners,flex boards, posters and hoardings welcoming Sasikala.

Women holding on their head 'Kalasha' or pitchersdecorated with flowers lined up on the roadsides to receivethe leader.

Meanwhile, Dhinakaran said many AIADMK functionaries andworkers had turned up to welcome his aunt, with the partyflags in their hands.

''She is travelling in a car that belongs to the AIADMKfunctionary who came to welcome her. He is there in the car(travelling with her),'' he told a Tamil TV channel.

To a question if they were visiting Ramapuram Garden, theresidence of Ramachandran, Dhinakaran answered in theaffirmative.

Sasikala along with her sister-in-law J Ilavarasi andJayalalithaa's disowned foster son V N Sudhakaran weresentenced to four years imprisonment by the Supreme Court inthe disproportionate assets case.

The assets case was originally filed against Jayalalithaaand the three others for amassment of Rs 66.65 crore assetsdisproportionate to their known sources of income between1991 and 1996. The case was later transferred to Bengaluru.

While the trial court in Bengaluru convicted all thefour, the Karnataka High Court later acquitted them.

The Supreme Court, allowing appeals challenging theiracquittals, confirmed and restored the trial court orderconvicting Sasikala, Illavarasi and Sudhakaran, while abatingappeals related to Jayalalithaa in view of her death inDecember, 2016.

Post Jalalithaa's death, Sasikala was elected the AIADMK'sinterim general secretary and as its legislature party leaderin February 2017, paving the way for her elevation as chiefminister.

However, with the apex court restoring her conviction inthe assets case, she chose her then loyalist K Palaniswami tobe the chief minister before proceeding to Bengaluru forserving the sentence.

The AIADMK suffered a split with O Panneerselvam, nowdeputy chief minister, and Palaniswami heading two factions,but they later merged the groups and the general council ofthe combined party expelled Sasikala in September, 2017 alongwith Dhinakaran and others.