CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Opposition leaders have appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stay away from the unveiling ceremony of a portrait of late chief minister Jayalalithaa in the Assembly, despite court confirming her involvement in high corruption. The ruling AIADMK party has decided to install Jaya's portrait, and Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami, during his trip to New Delhi, had invited Modi to the unveil anytime convenient to him in July.
DMK spokesman TKS Elangovan said, “It would be tragic and shocking if the Prime Minister chooses to accept his invitation, particularly since he won the elections promising to eliminate corruption. Having the portrait of someone convicted of high corruption by the highest court of the land is not just illegal, but also immoral.”
He added, “Let them (AIADMK) 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.” Congress president EVKS Elangovan mirrored the views, and said putting up Jaya's portrait in the Assembly was “illegal”.
“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 Veerappan and Auto Shankar will be seen on the walls of police headquarters,” he said.
