Rift between PMK founder Ramadoss, son widens

Chennai, Jul 12 (PTI) The disagreement between PMK founder Dr S Ramadoss and his son Anbumani continued to widen threatening to shadow the Vanniyar dominated party’s prospects at the hustings.

Party’s senior leaders opine that a divided house would be a setback in facing the Assembly elections next year.

Underscoring the importance of remaining together, a senior leader who is a supporter of Dr S Ramadoss says both the leaders should sink their differences and keep the party united.

Another senior functionary in the party, G K Mani, who unsuccessfully attempted a rapprochement between the father and son, insists that the PMK members wanted the discord to end soon. “It pains me immensely to see a rift in the PMK,” the legislator said.

On July 8, Anbumani chaired the party's governing body meeting in Chennai, while his father convened the PMK’s executive committee meeting in Tindivanam.

Mani, Dheeran, and A K Moorthy, known loyalists of Dr Ramadoss shared the dias with him. They wanted their leader to exercise complete control of the party and even decide on the alliance for the 2026 Assembly election. At the event, Ramadoss had claimed that a majority of the party cadres were with him.

Like legislator Mani, another MLA R Arul is backing Ramadoss.

The relations between the father and son turned unsavoury after Anbumani struck a defiant stance, aiming to take control of the party by holding meetings with cadres and even announcing agitation to demand internal reservation for the Vanniyar community. The senior Ramadoss declined to participate in the agitation this month.

On Saturday Ramadoss alleged that his social media accounts have been taken over by the supporters of Anbumani and sought help from the police to have them retrieved.

The compromising of his social media accounts has been his latest accusation since the souring of ties with his son Dr Anbumani over the leadership of the Pattali Makkal Katchi, which he founded.

Recently, Dr S Ramadoss alleged that a sophisticated bugging device reportedly purchased from London was found near his chair at his Thailapuram residence in Villupuram district. The device was recovered a couple of days ago and investigation is on to ascertain who planted it.

Prior to this, he had said that his son, a former Central Minister, should not use his surname. PTI JSP JSP ADB