No violation of rules in Jayalalithaa portrait: TN

Chennai: The state government has informed the Madras high court that there is no violation of any of the rules and regulations in displaying the portrait of former chief minister J.Jayalalithaa in government departments and offices of local bodies.

Shiv Das Meena, principal secretary to government, public department, stated this in his counter affidavit filed in response to a Public Interest Litigation filed by DMK MLA J.Anbazhagan against display of portraits and photographs of late chief minister Jayalalithaa in government offices and welfare schemes in the wake of Supreme Court order in the disproportionate wealth case against her.

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Huluvadi G.Ramesh and Justice RMT.Teeka Raman adjourned by two weeks, further hearing of the case.
 In his counter, Shiv Das submitted that the portrait of late Jayalalithaa was being displayed in government offices as it was of a former chief minister. As per the orders of the Supreme Court, the appeal against the former chief minister stands abated. Hence, the display of portraits of Jayalalithaa in government offices was not in contravention to the policy decision of the government taken in this matter. The various government schemes and programmes have been launched in the name of "Amma" which was a generic term, he added.

He said in 1970, by a G.O, the government permitted the heads of departments and district collectors to display the portraits of late chief minister and present chief minister provided there was no financial commitment involved on the part of the government. Later few more G.Os were issued periodically including several public personalities.

After careful consideration of several representations regarding display of the then chief minister M.Karunanidhi, the government in 1985 clarified the 1970 G.O to the effect that the portraits of present chief minister and former chief ministers can be displayed in government offices. "The display of the portraits/photographs of Jayalalithaa, the former chief minister in government departments, offices of local bodies etc., is in accordance with the permission granted by the government by issuing letters and G.Os from time to time", he added.