Airport slapgate: Jaya sacks Sasikala for bringing ‘ill fame’ to AIADMK

Rajya Sabha MP Sasikala Pushpa, who was involved in a scuffle with a DMK leader at Delhi airport, claims threat to life.

Chennai/New Delhi: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa sacked Rajya Sabha MP Sasikala Pushpa from AIADMK for ‘bringing ill fame to the party’.

DMK Rajya Sabha member Tiruchi Siva was slapped by AIADMK MP Sasikala Pushpa on Saturday at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi airport. While Sasikala maintained that she was upset over Tiruchi Siva abusing her party leader and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. Siva denied having said anything disrespectful against the Tamil Nadu CM.

“There is no need for me to talk (about the CM) to security personnel and even if I had spoken (something), there was no need for (Ms Pushpa) to behave (this way),” Siva said.

Explaining her violent outburst, Pushpa had on Saturday told DC that she was justifiably angry because Siva criticised her party leader more than once with the CISF personnel at Terminal 3 of the New Delhi Airport.

“Once he saw me, he started criticising Amma and the government more. Since I could not stomach someone criticising my leader, I slapped him,” Pushpa had said.

Explaining his side of the story, the DMK MP said the incident took place when he was coming out of the boarding area after he cancelled his plans to travel to Chennai.

“I cancelled my ticket and was exiting the airport and when I was at the exit scan area, she (Sasikala Pushpa) was at the entry scan area. I would have just come 10 feet away from the exit scan area and that is when she dragged me by my shirt from my back. When security personnel intervened, she asked why the same importance given to me was not accorded to her,” he said.

Asked what his response was after the incident, he said: “Since I was embarrassed, I left the area and I did not even enter into an argument since she was a woman and I did not want to drag this,” he said.

To a question about why he has not filed any complaint with the police, the MP said he would take a call after discussing the issue with party high command.

(This article first appeared in Deccan Chronicle)