Erode: AIADMK and ruling DMK in the city
civic body are locked in a bitter tussle over the portraits of
their leaders with the Mayor on Friday shunning his chamber where
a picture of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has replaced her
predecessor M Karunanidhi's portrait.
Mayor K Kumar Muruges of DMK locked his chamber and chose
to function from an adjacent room, installing the portraits of
party chief Karunanidhi and former deputy chief minister MK
Stalin, saying the DMK chief "is still my chief minister".
The Mayor had earlier rejected the demand by AIADMK
workers that the portrait of Jayalalithaa be placed in his
chamber in view of the regime change in the state.
AIADMK members allegedly stormed the Mayor's office
yesterday and placed Jayalalithaa's portrait after removing
those of Karunanidhi and Stalin.
Unperturbed by this, Muruges said "Kalaignar
(Karunanidhi) is still my Chief Minister. So I have placed his
portrait in my room."
The issue had its echo in the council meeting held today
when some DMK members staged a walkout accusing AIADMK workers
of breaking open the Mayor's chambers yesterday.
Denying the charge, AIADMK councillor Veera Senthil said
the chamber was already open when they entered it. He later
staged a walkout along with eight AIADMK councillors,
protesting the Mayor's stand that Karunanidhi was still the
Chief Minister for him.
PTI
First Published: Friday, July 08, 2011, 16:45