Chennai: Stepping up his tirade against Sasikala, Tamil Nadu caretaker Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam on Wednesday declared that he will continue in the post by withdrawing his resignation. Last night he claimed that he was forced to tender his resignation and also expressed doubts over Chinnamma Sasakala's role in Jayalalithaa's death.

Coming back to media for the second time in barely 12 hours, Panneerselvam said a majority of AIADMK MLAs are with him and he can prove his strength on the floor of the Assembly. He dismissed AIADMK General Secretary Sasikala's charge that DMK was behind his revolt against the party leadership and said she has no powers to sack him as Treasurer of the party.

"She should be asked to explain the basis of her charge. I was never cordial with DMK. A look back into the history will make it clear," he told Tamil TV channels after his last night's sudden revolt.

Panneerselvam said he will meet the Governor after he comes back to Chennai and will take Jayalalithaa's niece Deepa Jayakumar's support in his endeavor to defend the party. He clarified that BJP was not behind his decision and he never hobnobbed with DMK for the sake of power.

As the political drama unfolded, security at the Greenways Road residence of Panneerselvam was stepped up even as scores of supporters started thronging the area.

"There is no relationship at all between me and the DMK. It's only the human approach to reciprocate when someone smiles at you. That is the difference between animals and humans," he said.

He was apparently referring to Sasikala pointing to the exchange of pleasantries between him and DMK Working President MK Stalin, the Leader of the opposition in the Assembly, during the recent session.

Elaborating on his contention that Sasikala had no powers to sack him from the party post, Panneerselvam said already there were legal problems facing the party. He said General Secretary was elected on a temporary basis in view of the extraordinary situation faced by the party after Jayalalithaa's demise.

"This is the party's norm. As per the party's constitution framed by founder MG Ramachandran at the time floating the AIADMK, legal sanction for the post will come only when all primary members elect the General Secretary. Such a General Secretary alone has the powers to appoint or remove party functionaries," he said.

On strong attack against him by AIADMK leaders, including his cabinet colleagues, Panneerselvam said it was a 'compulsion of time.'

On the charge that he had betrayed the party high command, the senior leader said he resigned when he was forced only because he did not want the charge to fall on him.

Asked about allegations leveled against him by some of his opponents that BJP was behind him, Pannerselvam said, "They (his opponent) don't have any strong ground against me. They can't level any allegation against me."

--PTI