City cops discreetly remove Jayalalithaa’s portraits from offices

The portraits had been adorning the walls of their offices till Leader of Opposition M K Stalin openly demanded removal of the portraits of Jayalalithaa from government offices, alleging that it was improper to keep the photograph of a convicted person at government offices. The senior police officials got the message quicker than their colleagues in other departments and started removing them from their offices. “Why give a wrong impression that we are staunch supporters of one faction by keeping the picture,” a senior police official told DTNext. 

However, none of these officials have replaced the picture with that of sitting Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanisamy. 

“We can keep his picture in the capacity of being the Chief Minister. But we have not been provided with any pictures so far,” another official said. 

Apart from the mandatory portrait of the former chief minister kept on the walls of the office cabins, many officials also had other photographs of them with Jayalalithaa adorning the office tables. 

All these photographs have been removed now. Police sources said there was no official communication from the government asking them to remove the photographs of Jayalalithaa. 

“The decision was taken by each one of us and we have all removed them,” the official added. 

Meanwhile, former chief minister O Panneerselvam on Monday alleged that police did not grant permission to his supporters to celebrate the 69th birth anniversary of his predecessor late J Jayalalithaa on Friday. 

“When permission was sought for holding programmes such as rallies, hoisting of party flags and distribution of welfare schemes, police refused it,” he alleged. 

Panneerselvam said there was “proof” for this accusation that police refused to permit events planned to mark the late chief minister’s birth anniversary on February 24 by his supporters. 

He asked who had directed police to deny permission and pointed out that Jayalalithaa had gone on a whirlwind tour of the state last year during the Assembly polls and “canvassed votes for us”. 

Without naming but in an obvious reference to Chief Minister E K Palanisamy, who holds the Home portfolio, Panneerselvam said, “You have forgotten that we are in such elevated position because of Amma as people voted for her.” 

“By trying to prevent celebrations of Amma’s birthday, which will only enhance her fame, by anybody, the government led by Palanisamy doesn’t seem to have the true loyalty and respect towards Amma,” he charged. 

He said that people will show the door from politics to those who tried to “destroy” Jayalalithaa’s fame.