Madurai (Tamil Nadu), February 28 Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday criticised expelled AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam for switching allegiance to the ruling DMK and said his action amounted to betraying the ideals of the late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.
The Union Minister for Commerce and Industry said that the people of Tamil Nadu, who value self-respect, would not forgive Panneerselvam for joining the DMK.
The former Chief Minister, who was once an ally of the BJP, joined the DMK in the presence of its president and Tamil Nadu Chief M K Stalin on February 27, along with his son O P Ravindranath and a few supporters.
Asked if Panneerselvam joining the DMK would be a setback to the AIADMK-led NDA alliance, Goyal, who was visiting the city ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit on March 1, told reporters here that it would not impact the NDA alliance at the polls.
"The people of Tamil Nadu have noted that the person to whom AIADMK leader and late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa gave so much respect, affection, and opportunity to become a Chief Minister, has betrayed Jayalalithaa's philosophy and high ideals," the union minister said.
Goyal, who is the BJP's in-charge for the Tamil Nadu election, further said, "I am sure that the people of the state will not forgive Panneerselvam."
