Amma Stickers on Relief Material Attract Social Wrath

Chennai: Adding a repellent twist to the flood tragedy in Tamil Nadu, 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, however, 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.

To recover the loss of damage of the party's fame, a senior AIADMK functionary said,  "It said such claims in the social media were totally false and asked volunteers to complain to party headquarters or police if at all such demands were made.  We wish to reiterate that there is no such message in any form to anyone from the party."

He also said It was evident that it was a rumour and work by unscrupulous elements to defame the party and our honourable Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.", adding, the efforts were being made to identify rumour-mongers, said the party's top functionary who declined to be named.

"There is no need for us to insist that 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 in a reply to a question.

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 the social media, DMK chief Karunanidhi had hit out at AIADMK for delaying relief by many hours so as to paste stickers of Amma on relief materials 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.
Source: PTI