DMK says portraits of Jayalalithaa, convicted in DA case, shouldn’t be in govt offices
The opposition DMK on Saturday called for removal of portraits of the late chief minister J Jayalalithaa from government offices, saying she was convicted in a disproportionate assets case.
The opposition DMK on Saturday called for removal of portraits of the late chief minister J Jayalalithaa from government offices, saying she was convicted in a disproportionate assets case.
DMK working president and leader of Opposition in the Tamil Nadu assembly MK Stalin also opposed the naming of government schemes after her and “the use of taxpayers’ money for her 69th birthday celebrations” on Friday.
“Jayalalithaa was convicted (in the Rs 66 crore disproportionate assets case). Already there are some schemes in her name and the government should not allow new schemes to be named after her,” he told reporters in Chennai.
Stalin also wanted the schemes named after her to be re-named.
He said the late chief minister’s portraits were found at the secretariat, the ministers’ rooms and local body offices and called for their removal.
“If this situation remains, the need for us to approach the court will certainly come up. Not just (some) elected representatives but people also are opposing this and it could lead to a law and order problem,” he said.
Stalin said he took up these matters with chief secretary Girija Vaidyanathan who assured that he’ll look into them, he said.
The ruling AIADMK took strong exception to the remarks made by Stalin and sought an “open apology” from him. Claiming that Stalin had used certain words against Jayalalithaa on Friday, AIADMK deputy general secretary TTV Dinakaran said they were completely “false” and showed DMK leader’s “uncultured side”.
Stalin also took exception to the state government advertisements given on the occasion of Jayalalithaa’s 69th birthday and criticised the participation of chief minister Edappady K Palaniswami, his ministers and senior officials, including the chief secretary, in a tree plantation drive.
On February 14, the Supreme Court had restored a lower court order convicting Jayalalithaa, her aide VK Sasikala and two others to four years in prison in connection with the assets case.
The charges against the late CM had abated since she had passed away on December 5, 2016 but the court had held that the criminal conspiracy was hatched at her Poes Garden residence in Chennai.
Read | Jayalalithaa: A timeline of a movie star-turned-politician
The apex court had held that Jayalalithaa, Sasikala and two other convicts had entered into a conspiracy and the late CM, who was a public servant at the time, had come to possess assets disproportionate to the known sources of her income during the check period.
To a question, Stalin said he has not received the unedited footage of the visuals recorded during the February 18 floor test in the state assembly won by Palaniswami.
DMK had earlier moved the Madras high court against the confidence vote and the court had directed the opposition party to provide clippings or any other recordings to substantiate its claim that the trust vote was held by “contravening” the rules of the state Assembly.
Get Current Updates on India News, Lok Sabha Election 2024 LIVE along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.