Jayalalithaa's memorial work should be done "legally": Stalin

Two days after the announcement, Revenue officials had on Saturday visited Jayalalithaa's house as part of a preliminary exercise to take over the property.

Chennai, Aug 20: Questioning Tamil Nadu government's announcement on conversion of late chief minister Jayalalithaa's house into a memorial, DMK Working President M K Stalin on Sunday termed the decision as "legally wrong".

"It should be done legally, what is happening now is legally wrong," he claimed here.

He was responding to questions from reporters about steps being initiated after the August 17 announcement of Chief Minister K Palaniswami that the Poes Garden residence, where Jayalalithaa stayed, would be made a public memorial.

"We should wait and see as to what further steps that will be taken over this," he added.

Two days after the announcement, Revenue officials had on Saturday visited Jayalalithaa's house as part of a preliminary exercise to take over the property. Hitting out at the DMK leader for his comments, AIADMK rebel leader and former chief minister O Panneerselvam told reporters today that "Stalin is not a lawyer who has studied law" to comment on the matter.

Stalin, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, also mocked at Panneerselvam for "agreeing to an Inquiry Commission" after having demanded a CBI probe into the death of Jayalalithaa.

He said DMK stood for a CBI probe into the matter and it had been continuously demanding it. On the proposed merger of AIADMK factions led by Palaniswami and Pannneerselvam, he claimed that "story, screenplay and direction for it, is happening in Delhi," a veiled attack on BJP heading the central government.

PTI