Even as DMDK president Vijayakanth, Pattali Makkal Katchi’s (PMK) founder-president Ramadoss and DMK’s working president M.K. Stalin are opposed to the inauguration/unveiling of a portrait of the late chief-minister J. Jayalalithaa in the Legislative Assembly premises, BJP’s Tamil Nadu president Tamilisai Soundararajan and Congress MLA Vijayadharani supported the unveiling of the portrait of ‘Amma’.

Amid expectations that Prime Minister Modi would inaugurate/unveil Jayalalithaa’s portrait, it was announced on Friday by the Govt. of Tamil Nadu that a portrait of the deceased chief-minister J. Jayalalithaa would be inaugurated by Speaker Dhanapal within the Legislative Assembly’s premises. Chief-minister Edapadi K. Palaniswami and Deputy chief-minister O. Panneerselvam are expected to grace the occasion.

Commenting on the unveiling of the portrait, Tamilisai said “There is nothing wrong in unveiling Jayalalithaa’s portrait in the Assembly; despite some criminal cases against her, she had ruled the State admirably for a long time and she sure deserves this honour.”  While the DMK opposes this, Vijayadharani, an MLA of Congress which is in alliance with the DMK, has supported the unveiling of the portrait of Jayalalithaa.

“I’m not opposed to unveiling Jayalalithaa’s portrait in the Assembly; making a Memorial for her is also not wrong. In today’s world, it is very tough for a woman to be in politics and as a woman, Jayalalithaa had tided over many crises and displayed amazing sustainability. She is a mass leader and there is nothing wrong in honouring her. Had she been alive, she would have reviewed the decision against her in the assets case and who knows, might even have been declared as innocent,” Vijayadharani said.