Slamming the state’s plan to install a portrait of late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa in the Assembly despite the court confirming her involvement in high corruption, Opposition leaders on Friday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stay away from the unveiling ceremony.
During his Delhi trip on Wednesday, Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami had invited the PM to unveil the portrait anytime convenient to him in the month of July. There has not been a response from the PM’s office so far.
“It would be tragic and shocking if the Prime Minister chooses to accept this invitation, particularly since he won the elections promising to eliminate corruption”, said DMK spokesman TKS Elangovan. “Having the portrait of someone convicted of high corruption by the highest court of the land is not just illegal but also immoral”, he told DC. nTurn to P4
“Let them (ruling party) have their leader's portrait in their party headquarters and the Poes Garden bungalow. Nobody would object to that. But having her portrait in the Assembly and amid the pictures of political stalwarts of great administrative acumen and social standing, is just not acceptable”, said the seasoned DMK MP.
Echoing similar views in just as strong tone, former state Congress president EVKS Elangovan told reporters in native Erode that putting up Jayalalithaa's portrait in the Assembly was 'illegal' as she had been convicted. “How could we have the picture of a convicted person in the Assembly where portraits of great leaders such as Kamaraj, Periyar, Rajaji, Anna, MGR and Karunanidhi adorn the walls? If they still insist on doing that, a situation could arise when the pictures of (forest brigand) Veerappan and (serial killer) Auto Shankar will be seen on the walls of the police headquarters”, said the firebrand former Union Minister.
PMK founder Dr S. Ramadoss in a statement rejected the contention Jayalalithaa was not convicted by the SC and said, “No judgment was passed on her as she had died before the verdict. If she were alive today, Jayalalithaa would not be the CM or even a MLA”.
Recalling that his party had filed a petition in the Madras high court seeking the removal of Jayalalithaa's portraits in government offices, the PMK chief asserted that the government move to have her portrait unveiled in the Assembly, even before the verdict on the petition, cannot be accepted. “It will be a shame upon the Constitution”, he said.
