THE simmering public rift between Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder S Ramadoss and his son, party president Anbumani Ramadoss, may be headed for a cooling down – prompted not by a sudden meeting of the minds, but the alleged discovery of a tapping device, and the apprehension of a police investigation.According to two senior PMK sources and a confidant close to the family, a complaint filed on behalf of Ramadoss about the discovery of a sophisticated audio-tapping device at his house, and the hint that the son’s side may be implicated in it, had prompted a flurry of damage-control efforts by the family. G Viswanathan, who runs the VIT Group of Institutions and is a long-time friend of the family, is reportedly the chief mediator.AdvertisementA complaint filed with police’s Cyber Crime Wing by PMK Headquarters secretary M Anbalagan, seen by The Indian Express, says that “an apparatus (bug)” was found at the official residence of Ramadoss by his staff on the evening of July 9, “in the usual sitting chair (sofa)”, while they were cleaning the furniture.The complaint added that the device was planted while Ramadoss was not present, and sought a thorough search of the house “to find out if there are any other devices also fixed in any secret place by the mischief mongers, who all appear to be anti-social elements”. The complaint also urged the authorities “to take appropriate legal action at the earliest, apart from providing adequate police force for the safety of our Founder President and his family”.However, the PMK and Ramadoss family later got apprehensive that the complaint provided a reason to the DMK government to send in state police into Ramadoss’s house, as well as go after Anbumani. The PMK is an ally of the BJP-led NDA in the state.AdvertisementAlso read | After public fallout, PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss makes surprise visit to fatherIncidentally, Ramadoss’s complaint regarding the “tapping” device followed earlier questions raised by him about digital security within the party, claiming that his social media accounts were still controlled by those loyal to Anbumani, whom he had dismissed.“With the Villupuram police reportedly preparing to act on the complaint (over the ‘bugging’ device), and seeking details, the possibility of law enforcement entering the family properties and potentially questioning Anbumani became too risky for both sides,” said a senior PMK leader. “Letting them enter the house itself would be detrimental to the party,” said a top source in the party.This added an urgency to the mediation efforts between the father and son, and as per sources, a breakthrough is near. A top source in the family said it was Anbumani’s father-in-law Krishnaswamy, who is also a friend of Viswanathan, who had urged the VIT Group owner to intervene. Senior Ramadoss and Viswanathan are believed to have met last week on Saturday.The top PMK source said: “The conversation between Viswanathan and Ayya (Ramadoss) was candid. The focus now is not on ego or succession, but on protecting the family and the party from irreparable damage.”A PMK leader said what contributed to the thaw was Anbumani’s meeting last week with mother Saraswathi at a family wedding in Chennai. Anbumani and his wife Sowmya touched Saraswathi’s feet and sought her blessings, as senior party members watched. The two sides reportedly went on to hold talks for nearly two hours, though Ramadoss and Anbumani made sure that they were not present together at the venue.A formal withdrawal of the police complaint on the “bugging” device is being considered, insiders said, and more family meetings are expected before the weekend.The developments come ahead of a big public protest planned on July 20 by Anbumani, demanding implementation of 10.5% internal reservation for the Vanniyar community within the Most Backward Classes quota. A truce with his father before the meeting, which is expected to attract more than 5,000 party cadres and would be held just kilometres from Ramadoss’s home, would be symbolically a big boost for the party.“We hope that the weekend passes without a knock on the door from the Villupuram police, and the father and son share the stage on July 20,” said a PMK leader.While Ramadoss’s office promised to respond soon, Anbumani and Viswanathan were not available for comments.The rift between Ramadoss and Anbumani spilled into the open earlier this year when the senior leader was seen as sidelining the son. Then, in a surprise move, Ramadoss pushed to elevate his grandson P Mukundan – the son of his daughter Gandhimathi – as PMK youth wing president.Anbumani opposed the move, which was seen as an attempt to undercut his leadership. Earlier this month, Ramadoss overruled Anbumani’s expulsion of an MLA, saying that as “working president”, he did not have that authority.