Ramadoss revealed that Anbumani had intentionally isolated him by warning party district secretaries against meeting him.
Published Jun 12, 2025 | 2:53 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 12, 2025 | 2:53 PM
Dr. Ramadoss restructures PMK leadership, removes Anbumani from executive committee (Supplied)
Synopsis: The family feud within the PMK has intensified with the party founder Dr S Ramadoss convening a news conference against his son Dr Anmbumani Ramadoss.
In an emotionally charged news conference held at his residence in Thailapuram, PMK founder Dr S Ramadoss launched a scathing and personal attack on his son and party president, Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, alleging betrayal, humiliation, and attempts to forcefully remove him from the party he founded and nurtured for nearly five decades.
Dr. Ramadoss revealed that during the party’s recent state conference, he had even prepared to relinquish the leadership on stage. “I had written and was ready to hand over the president’s post then and there,” he said.
But following a cascade of disrespectful moves, he said his patience wore thin. “After that, the anger inside me burst out. I’ve now decided — let’s face off and see who prevails.”
He accused Anbumani of surrounding himself with sycophants, saying, “Let him stay with those who worship him while tying protective amulets. I cannot remain in such an environment.”
Ramadoss questioned the fairness of denying him his rightful place in the party. “Don’t I have the right to lead the party I built and protected for 46 years? Is asking for just a few more years of leadership so wrong?” He called it a deep personal insult that such questions even arise.
Referring to Anbumani’s actions, he added, “He, whom I gave shelter in the PMK, is now grabbing me by the neck and throwing me out.”
Ramadoss revealed that Anbumani had intentionally isolated him by warning party district secretaries against meeting him. “He told them not to see me and thus insulted me in front of the entire party,” he said. “Had he maintained calm and dignity, the leadership would’ve come to him on its own.”
He also said that ahead of a recent meeting he called, Anbumani personally called each district secretary around 3 am, urging them not to attend, claiming falsely that Ramadoss had planned to remove him from primary membership. Despite the pressure, eight secretaries defied the order and attended.
Ramadoss added, “Had this sabotage not happened, I would’ve personally conducted a grand coronation for him within a year or two.”
Drawing on traditional and cultural values, Ramadoss said, “Anbumani may be a disciple better than his guru, but a son should not surpass his father. That is dharma, that is the truth.”
He lamented that he was being stabbed in the chest while being called ‘Kulasami’ (head of the clan). “They say I’m their god and then humiliate me. They shrink me, target me, and throw me into the abyss,” he said.
Ramadoss also disclosed that as far back as seven years ago, tensions had begun. At Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s swearing-in in Delhi, he said Anbumani told him, “Appa, I will take care of the party.” But moments later, he added, “If I’ve said anything wrong, forgive me.” That moment, Ramadoss said, hinted at Anbumani’s ambition to fully control the party, long before he officially became president.
Ramadoss reiterated that he remains the party’s founder and official leader, and that only he has the authority to call the party’s General Council or make decisions about alliances. “All other political leaders in Tamil Nadu believe my decisions are correct,” he said.
He emphasised his life-long mission: Social justice for all 324 castes, and added that political parties seeking an alliance with PMK would know what is right and wrong. “They will decide accordingly,” he said.
Dr. Ramadoss accused the current leadership of using the very social media ecosystem he created to wage campaigns against him. “I stabbed my own eyes with my fingers,” he said, metaphorically describing how his own tools were turned against him.
“They have ignored the living me, while placing garlands on my portraits. They turned me into a walking corpse for a drama. Every player is an actor,” he added.
He also mentioned that some within the party even consulted his family astrologer, who reportedly said there was no dosham (curse) across seven generations in the family — subtly dismissing any claims that his leadership had become inauspicious.
Concluding his impassioned remarks, Dr Ramadoss said, “I love my people more than my life. My relatives may be dear, but the people are dearer. This is my fight for dignity, for justice, and for the soul of the PMK.”
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
