Chennai: Throwing a spanner in AIADMK merger talks, law minister C. Ve. Shanmugam lashed out at former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, who heads the AIADMK Puratchi Thalaivi group, for introducing to Tamil Nadu, the jailed sand mining baron Sekhar Reddy.

Lashing out at Mr Panneerselvam for the alleged links with Sekhar Reddy, Mr. Shanmugam told reporters here on Tuesday that Mr. Panneerselvam might say many things. "There were several irregularities when he was CM …let him respond to the charges and accept an enquiry commission. Who introduced Sekhar Reddy to TN?," he asked and claimed that it was Mr. Panneerselvam who introduced Sekhar Reddy to Tamil Nadu.


The minister also wanted to know why OPS nominated Reddy for a post in the board of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD). Meanwhile, reacting to the accusation, Semmalai (OPS faction) said, "they are trying to use us shield. We won't be deceived." He said 12 ministers and 35 legislators from the Edappadi K. Palanisami camp are ready to offer support to OPS. A few days ago, Mr. Panneerselvam himself has said that Assembly elections would come soon in Tamil Nadu.

DMK working president M. K. Stalin who has demanded a probe into the alleged corrupt dealings of AIADMK Ministers and former CM O. Panneerselvam, said it would be Guinness record, if the AIADMK claims that the "mysterious death" of contractor K. R. Subramanian, an aide of health minister C. Vijaya Baskar, and the killing of the prime suspect in the Kodanad estate security guard murder case, are incidental.