Expelled AIADMK MP breaks down in RS

AIADMK MP Sasikala Pushpa, who reportedly slapped DMK MP Trichy Siva at Delhi airport on Saturday, was on Monday expelled from the party by its supremo Jayalalithaa on a day when she claimed she was slapped by a “leader” and faced threat to her life in Tamil Nadu.

In a brief statement, Jayalalithaa said that Sasikala, a Rajya Sabha MP, was being expelled from all party posts, including primary membership, as she had acted in violation of the party principles and ethics for “bringing disrepute to the party”.

“Her behaviour has brought great disrepute to the party,” the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister said in Chennai.

She asked party supporters not to have any truck henceforth with the Thoothukudi-based MP.

In the Rajya Sabha, Sasikala alleged she was being forced to resign from the ‘constitutional post’.

She first rushed into the Well of the House to get permission to make her statement and then broke down several times as she said she faced “life threat” from state government and alluded to her being slapped by a “leader”.

She, however, did not make it clear who slapped her and when.

Outside Rajya Sabha, Sasikala claimed her expulsion had no link with the airport incident involving Siva, also a Rajya Sabha MP, and that pressure was being put on her for the last two months 

to resign. “They are harassing me.” She replied in the affirmative when asked whether Jayalalithaa was behind this.