SC Declines Urgent Hearing Of PIL Seeking Stay Over Sasikala’s Swearing-In

The Supreme Court on Friday declined the urgent hearing of Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking to restrain V K Sasikala Natrajan from taking oath as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister.

The PIL, filed on 6 February in the apex court seeking a stay over Sasikala’s swearing-in, claimed that she had been convicted under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, for amassing wealth disproportionate to her income. The petitioner said he filed the plea in the interest of people of Tamil Nadu and to maintain the peace in the state.

In a major turn of events, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) general secretary Natarajan yesterday staked her claim to form government.

Sasikala earlier visited Tamil Nadu Governor C Vidyasagar Rao and carried along with her letter of support claiming majority. She was accompanied by five senior AIADMK leaders.

Hours before she met the Governor to stake claim to be Tamil Nadu’s next chief minister, Sasikala lost the support of top party leader E Madhusudhanan to O. Panneerselvam, who has underscored that he will not give up the Chief Minister’s post without a fight.

Meanwhile, Panneerselvam hit back at Sasikala for calling him a ‘traitor’ accusing the former of playing ‘dirty tricks’, adding that she instigated several ministers to give interviews to declare her as the chief minister.