Chennai : DMK working president MK Stalin took serious exception to the use of a defence aircraft for use by a private individual – the brother of Tamil Nadu deputy chief minister O Panneersevalam — and sought the resignation of defence minister Nirmala Seetharaman.

How can a military air ambulance was allowed to be used for shifting the brother of OPS from Madurai to Chennai. Even though the news remained hidden so far, it was revealed by the deputy chief minister himself when he told media persons in Delhi on Wednesday that he had come to thank defence minister for allowing his ailing brother to be transported by a defence chopper.
“It is a mystery as to how a military helicopter was provided to a private individual. So far, this news has not come out and it has now emerged through Panneerselvam himself,” Stalin told media persons in Chennai.

Panneerselvam was snubbed by the defence minister who kept the TN deputy chief minister waiting outside her office and refused to meet him. She met only senior AIADMK RS member, V Maitreyan and this meeting was confirmed by a tweet on the official handle of the ministry.

“Appointment was given to Shri V Maitreyan, MP Rajya Sabha. Deputy CM of Tamil Nadu, Shri O. Panneerselvam has not met Smt @nsitharaman,” the Twitter handle of Sitharaman’s office had said.

DMK leader Stalin demanded that both, the defence minister and deputy CM, must resign from their respective posts.

Nirmala Seetharaman’s snub to OPS is significant in that he was seen as a person with proximity to the Prime Minister and it was alleged that it was Delhi that dictated the script of the merger of the two AIADMK factions.