The AIADMK has decided to boycott the centenary celebration of the Tamil Nadu legislature to be held at Fort St George on Monday evening.
As part of the celebration, President Ram Nath Kovind will unveil the portrait of five-time Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi in the presence of Governor Banwarilal Purohit and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, son of the former Chief Minister.
S. Ravi, deputy whip of the party, told The Hindu that his party had to take the move as the ruling DMK, while in the Opposition, did not take part in the event of unveiling the portrait of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa in February 2018. “How can we be expected to participate in the day’s event?” he asked.
D. Jayakumar, former Assembly Speaker, questioned the rationale behind the celebration itself. According to him, the constitution of the first Assembly in 1952 should be taken into account, as it was only then that the country was a republic on gaining Independence. “How is it acceptable that the establishment of the legislature in 1921 can be considered when the country was under the British rule?” he wondered.
But, R. Avudaiappan, former Assembly Speaker (2006-11), rebutted the criticism, on the ground that the occasion marked the completion of 100 years of the system where directly-elected representatives of the legislature were the dominant constituents of the House. Out of 127 members, 98 were those elected directly by people. Of the elected members, 63 belonged to the Justice Party, which launched the Dravidian movement in the State. It was then that the Party came to power for the first time and as a result, a number of measures in the area of social justice was undertaken including the issuance of “communal GOs,” providing reservation in employment to backward sections of the society.
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