DMK working president M.K. Stalin on Saturday asserted that his party would soon put an end to the events being organised by the State government in memory of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, who was recently convicted by the Supreme Court in the disproportionate assets case.
He also urged the Chief Secretary to remove the portraits of Jayalalithaa from government offices.
Speaking to reporters at Chennai airport after returning from New Delhi, where he had earlier met President Pranab Mukherjee and submitted a memorandum to him on the events that unfolded during the recent trust vote in the Assembly, which he described as the ‘murder of democracy’, Mr. Stalin said the President had promised to take appropriate action.
When asked whether the DMK was contemplating legal action against the State government, he said, “Her (Jayalalithaa’s) death is shrouded in mystery and the government is organising festivals in her name. Soon, all this will come to an end.”
He also criticised Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan over a government advertisement on Jayalalithaa’s birth anniversary celebrations that was published in newspapers.
“It is a shame. She is an honest official. Instead of setting an example for others, she chose to be a part of these events,” he said.
‘Wrong message’
Mr. Stalin also submitted a petition to Ms. Vaidyanathan, urging her to remove Jayalalithaa’s portraits from government offices and her name form government schemes.
“Despite the Supreme Court convicting her, the government launched a programme to plant 69 lakh saplings to commemorate her birth anniversary. You participated in the event, which was presided over by the Chief Minister. It has sent a wrong message,” Mr. Stalin said in his petition.
He also stated that retaining the word ‘Amma’ in government schemes would risk losing the faith of the youth in democracy.
