After 'Amma', 'Chinamma' invoked during Tamil Nadu budget

In typical AIADMK's sycophancy style, Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Jayakumar invoked convicted AIADMK interim general secretary Sasikala Natarajan's name while presenting the budget. The opposition MLAs tore into the AIADMK leaders for invoking the name of a convict who was lodged in a jail. In his maiden budget speech, Jayakumar clearly wanted to highlight where his loyalties lay. While the budget briefcase had the picture of J Jayalalithaa, 'Chinnamma's name was also invoked.

The leader of the opposition M K Stalin demanded that references to Sasikala be expunged. Floor leader K A Sengottaiyan, however, claimed that there was nothing wrong in mentioning a name. The AIADMK's reluctance to allow expunging Sasikala's name led to chaos in the assembly which saw violence the last time it was convened for a trust vote.

Stalin and his MLAs expressed stiff opposition over Sasikala's name being referred to in the assembly since she is lodged in jail after being convicted in a disproportionate assets case. Meanwhile, with no clarity the subject of removing Jayalalithaa's portraits from government buildings, the deceased leaders' pictures continued to adorn the walls of the Tamil Nadu secretariat and the budget briefcase as well.

OneIndia News