MK Stalin: Take ‘guilty’ Jaya’s photos out of govt offices

Chennai: Tamil Nadu’s Opposition leader M.K. Stalin said on Saturday that state chief secretary Girija Vaidhyanathan had assured him that she would take appropriate legal action on his demand to remove the portraits of former chief minister J. Jayalalithaa from government offices, and her name from government schemes, as she was found guilty by the Supreme Court in a disproportionate assets case.

Mr Stalin, who met the chief secretary and submitted a petition, said he had also pointed out to her about the spending of government money to celebrate the Jayalalithaa’s birthday.

He also clarified that he did not want to criticise Jayalalithaa personally, since it would not be political civility. The charges against her had abated only because of her death, he said, and added that the apex court had confirmed her culpability in the case.

But, saplings planting programme in her name was held using government funds and all ministers, besides officials, took part in it.

Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palanisami had taken an oath not to act against the Constitution, but his involvement in Jayalalithaa’s birth anniversary is against law, Stalin said. He listed the schemes being implemented in the name of Jayalalithaa and demanded its removal.

Stalin also said Jayalalithaa’s portraits were found in the secretariat, state government and local body offices and demanded that they be removed. If action is not taken on his petition, DMK will have to approach the court, he warned.

Answering a question, he charged that the files connected to the bill passed in the Assembly exempting the state from NEET had not been sent to Delhi for President’s approval. He also insisted on live telecast of Assembly proceedings since people would know what is happening in the House.