New Delhi: Amid mounting pressure to reconcile with expelled leaders, AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi. The visit is seen as a politically strategic move to reaffirm his control over the party and push back against efforts, reportedly encouraged by sections within the BJP, to re-induct leaders like O Panneerselvam and TTV Dhinakaran.

Reports say EPS clearly communicated his firm stance against any such realignment, warning that it could damage the AIADMK’s internal cohesion and its alliance with the BJP ahead of upcoming elections.

EPS urges Bharat Ratna for Muthuramalinga Thevar

During the meeting, Palaniswami also formally requested that Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar, a freedom fighter and revered figure among the Mukkulathor community, be posthumously honoured with the Bharat Ratna. This appeal comes especially after AIADMK’s dip in support from the Mukkulathor base in the recent 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Sharing pictures on social media, EPS wrote, "Honourable Union Home Minister Shri. @AmitShah was met yesterday by the party headquarters administrators along with party parliament members, and I handed over a letter on behalf of @AIADMKOfficial strongly urging that the highest award of the Indian nation, #BharatRatna, be conferred upon the divine son Pasumppon Aiya U. Muthuramalingam Thevar, who struggled for national liberation."

EPS was accompanied by several senior leaders including S P Velumani, K P Munusamy, C Ve Shanmugam, S Inbadurai, M Thambidurai and Dindigul C Srinivasan during the meeting with Shah. 

Earlier in the day, the AIADMK leaders also visited Vice-President C P Radhakrishnan to extend congratulations on his appointment.