The AIADMK ‘s former minority wing secretary and Labour Minister A. Anwhar Raajhaa, who was expelled from the party in November 2021, returned on Friday to the party, in the presence of the organisation’s general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami.
Former Ministers including K.A. Sengottaiyan, D. Jayakumar, S.P. Velumani, P. Thangamani and K.P. Munusamy were also present on the occasion.
In a chat with The Hindu, Mr. Raajhaa, who represented Ramanathapuram in the Lok Sabha from 2014 to 2019, said his decision to go back to the party followed steps on either side fora rapproachement.
Immediately prior to the expulsion, the former Minister had publicly pushed for the readmission of former interim general secretary of the party, V.K. Sasikala, and favoured the call of O. Panneerselvam, who was then party coordinator, for a discussion on the issue. Known as a critic of the AIADMK’s major ally, the BJP, Mr. Raajhaa had openly voiced, in 2018, reservations over the triple talaq legislation, and was responsible for his party’s decision to stage a walk-out at the time of the Lok Sabha adopting the legislation.
Asked about his present stand on Ms. Sasikala, the former MP said the issue was now “invalid.” As for the BJP, he shot back: “Almost all the parties have aligned themselves with them [the BJP].”
To a question as to whether he had been given any assignment, Mr. Raajhaa answered that it was “only just now” that he had rejoined the party.
