Tamil Nadu: Former Union Minister and the DMK’s South Zone secretary M.K. Alagiri has been suspended from the party and has been relieved of his posts for violating party discipline.

“His continuation is inappropriate as it will further disrupt the party discipline,” a statement from DMK general secretary K. Anbazhagan said on Friday.

Mr Anbazhagan called upon the partymen to remain united and support the decision as it was taken for welfare of the party organisation. The announcement came after Mr Alagiri called on his father and party president M. Karunanidhi and entered into an argument with him.

Mr Anbazhagan said Mr Alagiri had strongly criticised the action taken against those who had betrayed the interests of the party and indulged in unnecessary arguments.

“Mr Alagiri had also asked party cadres to keep away from organisational works and caused enormous trouble,” Mr Anbazhagan added.

According to Mr Anbazhagan though there were properly elected bodies within the DMK to air grievances and resolve disputes, some partymen in Madurai had indulged in mudslinging against the leadership of a party — DMDK leader Vijayakant — that was interested in joining the DMK alliance.

The party took action against these partymen as they had sought to create an impression that the DMK was riddled with casteism and supporting the attempt to invoke Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against their own partymen to give vent to their ire.

“They were suspended from the party and Mr Alagiri strongly criticised this action and indulged in unnecessary arguments,” Mr Anbazhagan said.