‘Remove Jayalalithaa’s portraits from all government offices,’ demands Stalin

The DMK leader said keeping a portrait of a convicted leader is against propriety.

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A day after the ruling AIADMK celebrated J Jayalalithaa’s 69th birth anniversary, the DMK has demanded that portraits of the former Chief Minister be removed be from all government offices. In addition to this, they have opposed the naming of government schemes after her.

The demand was made by the party’s working President MK Stalin, who reminded the government that the former Chief Minister had also been convicted in the Disproportionate Assets case. The DMK leader has written to Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan regarding the same. He claimed that evidences regarding his complaint had also been submitted.

Stalin in his letter to the Chief Secretary claimed that, “Keeping portraits of a convict in the Assembly, in the offices of elected leaders and on display in government events is against the propriety that leaders are expected to follow.” Stalin further demanded that the state government stop propping up a convict as an example for future generations.

He further took exception to the advertisements put out by the ruling AIADMK on the occasion of Jayalalithaa’s 69th birth anniversary. The Supreme Court on February 14, restored a lower court verdict, convicting Jayalalithaa, her aide VK Sasikala and two others in the Disproportionate Assets case.

The apex court held Jayalalithaa guilty in the Rs 66 crore scam but the charges against the late CM were abated as she had passed away on December 5, 2016. The court however ruled that Jayalalithaa, Sasikala and two others had hatched the conspiracy.