Row erupts over “Amma stickers” in TN flood relief material

Chennai: The ongoing relief work here has been shadowed by charges in social media that AIADMK workers were nudging NGOs to paste stickers of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on relief material, a claim dismissed by the ruling party as “false”.

As soon as messages went viral on social media claiming that “AIADMK workers” were asking NGOs and volunteers to paste “Amma” stickers over relief material, the ruling party sent across counter-messages.

It said such claims in social media were totally false and asked volunteers to complain to party headquarters or police if such demands were made. “We wish to reiterate that there is no such message in any form to anyone from the party. It is evident it was a rumour and work by unscrupulous elements to defame the party and our honourable Chief Minister,” a senior AIADMK functionary who declined to be named, told PTI.

“It is a rumour, a canard spread by unscrupulous elements,” he said, adding efforts were being made to identify them.

To another question, he said “there is no need for us to insist stickers of the CM be pasted on relief material. Our partymen are already busy discharging duties assigned to them in connection with relief work,” he said.

He said there was a report of a relief-truck halted on Tiruvallur-Tiruttani Road by some men who falsely claimed to be ruling party workers, asking them to paste “Amma” stickers and banners. Following such claims in social media, DMK chief Karunanidhi hit out at AIADMK “for delaying relief by many hours” so as “to paste stickers of Amma on relief material to seek publicity.”

Meanwhile, a defence public relations official here said army men have been sent to Cuddalore for relief work.

On reports of “logistical glitches” in relief work involving army personnel here due to lack of coordination among state, central agencies, he said, “Relief work is going on by the army,” but declined to elaborate.