Now, DMK vs AIADMK over Jayalalithaa's portrait in Tamil Nadu Assembly

DMK has filed a petition against unveiling of the portrait in Madras High Court.

ANI photo

CHENNAI: The portrait of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa was unveiled at the state Assembly by speaker P. Dhanapal amid bitter opposition from rival Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).

Boycotting the event, DMK on Sunday claimed that the former CM was "convicted" in a disproportionate assets case. 

The party on Monday filed a petition against the incident in the Madras High Court. 

Terming it a 'black day' in the history of the Assembly, DMK working president M K Stalin said that his party would not take part in the programme.

Stalin claimed the Speaker of the House does not have the authority or moral right to unveil the portrait and said it was his duty to request Dhanapal not to do so.

In a series of tweets, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) convenor and state Chief Minister O Panneerselvam praised Jayalalithaa's contribution and expressed pain over her untimely demise.

புரட்சித்தலைவி மாண்புமிகு அம்மா அவர்கள் இந்த மண்ணை விட்டு மறைந்தாலும், நிலைத்த புகழோடு,
நீக்கமற நம்முள் நிறைந்திருக்கிறார்.

இவ்வளவு விரைவாக, மாண்புமிகு அம்மா அவர்கள் நம்மை விட்டுப் பிரிந்து செல்வார், தீராத வேதனையை தருவார், என்று, கனவில் கூட நாம் நினைத்துப் பார்த்ததில்லை.

— O Panneerselvam (@OfficeOfOPS) February 12, 2018

The AIADMK matron had died on December 5, 2016.

Other opposition parties, including the CPI(M), joined the DMK in opposing the AIADMK's move.

CPI(M) State Secretary G Ramakrishnan said, "It will be a wrong precedent to unveil the portrait of a person who was convicted in the disproportionate assets case. We urge the Tamil Nadu government to give up this step."

With agency inputs