For the first time in 19 months, Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam has returned from Delhi unhappy. Panneerselvam, who flew to Delhi on Monday night to call on Defence Minister Nirmala Sithraman to thank her for helping him save his brother O. Balamurugan, was snubbed.
OPS was reportedly made to wait at the South Block, which houses the defence minister’s office, for about an hour and was then told that the appointment was only for AIADMK Rajya Sabha MP V. Maithreyan and not for OPS. In fact, a tweet from Sitharaman’s office said, “The appointment was for Rajya Sabha MP V. Maithreyan and not for O. Panneerselvaam.”
However, senior leaders in the OPS camp and highly placed sources in Delhi make it clear that the details of OPS's convoy was obtained by the South Block officials on Monday, before OPS boarded for Delhi from Chennai. The sources also add that the numbers of four cars, including that of the deputy CM and Maithreyan, were given to the South Block officials. “All protocol was maintained till we went into the South Block. But I am unclear why the defence minister made it public saying she wouldn’t give audience for OPS,” the senior leader told THE WEEK on conditions of anonymity.
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In fact, this is the first time that OPS faced rejection in Delhi. Sources say, there was an appointment for Maithreyan and the defence minister was aware that the appointment was sought by Maithreyan for OPS. “She has not snubbed OPS. She has snubbed the deputy chief minister of a state. She has insulted the people of Tamil Nadu. We had high regards for her because she is a minister in Delhi who speaks Tamil and hails from our state,” said the senior leader.
However, earlier in the day, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, while answering questions from journalists on OPS’s visit to Delhi, said, “He has gone there to thank the defence minister for giving air ambulance at the required time to help save his brother.” According to sources, the chief minister divulged the information only to make it public that the visit of OPS to Delhi was not political.
It may be recalled that Balamurugan, younger brother of OPS, who was admitted to a private hospital in Madurai had to be shifted on a medical emergency to Chennai. He was airlifted with the help of a defence ministry’s air ambulance. The timely assistance from Delhi did much good to Balamurugan. Even the chief minister, along with OPS, had visited Balamurugan in the hospital in Chennai.
While it is said that OPS went to Delhi just to thank the defence minister, according to sources, all arrangements were made in Delhi by the OPS camp to ensure a grand reception for the deputy chief minister at the airport. Most of the AIADMK MPs in Delhi had welcomed him with bouquets at the airport.
Politics apart, the question here is why the defence ministry went out of its way to help the younger brother of a deputy chief minister. Would such a facility be offered to a common citizen in case of an emergency?
Political observers also ask if it was necessary for the deputy chief minister to go all the way to Delhi merely to thank the defence minister for saving his brother. “A letter is enough to thank or the defence minister is just a phone call away for OPS. In such a situation, OPS had political agenda which was thwarted,” said a senior leader in the EPS camp.
On the other hand, Tamil Nadu ministers P. Thangamani and S.P. Velumani who are touted to be the eyes and ears of EPS will be in Delhi on Wednesday to call on Union minister Piyush Goel. While it is said the meeting is purely on departmental basis, the seniors in the OPS camp connect Tuesday’s incident with the visit of these two ministers to Delhi.
OPS, who always had a good audience among the BJP top brass in Delhi, for the first time has returned empty handed. It remains to be seen if OPS has lost the trust of the BJP leaders in Delhi.
While shutting the door for OPS after making him wait for hours, Sitharaman granted audience to AIADMK MP Sathyabama from Tiruppur constituency, and the minister's office had also released a official photograph of the meeting.