SALEM: AIADMK joint coordinator and former chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) on Monday said the party will appeal against the Madras High Court judgment setting aside the Tamil Nadu government’s order to acquire Veda Nilayam (the residence of late former chief minister J Jayalalithaa) and convert it into a memorial. The party’s executive committee will take a call on this when it meets on December 1, he added.
The development assumes significance as EPS does not want anyone to get political mileage by gaining possession of Veda Nilayam, said political observers. “The legal heirs may allow (Jaya’s confidante) VK Sasikala into Poes Garden as a permissible occupant. But EPS doesn’t want J Deepa (Jaya’s niece) or Sasikala there since he sees them as hurdles to his political career,” political analyst Raveendran Duraisamy told TNIE, adding that EPS wants to project himself as a leader like M Karunanidhi or Jayalalithaa.
Duraisamy added that the AIADMK does not have any locus standi to appeal against the verdict. “Only the government can do it. The high court verdict is crystal clear. So the DMK government may go by it.”
Echoing this view, former AIADMK MP KC Palanisamy said, “It is an issue between the legal heirs and the government. We don’t know what right the AIADMK has to appeal against the verdict.
The party may talk to the legal heirs, buy Veda Nilayam, and convert it into a memorial, since there are chances the Income Tax (IT) Department would attach the property for IT arrears and bring it up for auction. This is the only option to solve the issue amicably.” However, former AIADMK minister D Jayakumar supported EPS’ views, saying, “The DMK government didn’t argue the case strongly due to political vendetta.”
‘AIADMK cadre want residence to be memorial’
“It feels our leader Jayalalithaa would get more famous if Veda Nilayam is converted into a memorial. Houses of leaders like Anna and Kamarajar have been converted into memorials. The AIADMK cadre wants Veda Nilayam too to be a memorial.
This is why we brought in a law and provided compensation to the legal heirs. We will consult our legal team and work to convert Veda Nilayam into a memorial.” On November 24, a singlejudge bench of the Madras High Court set aside the government order to acquire Veda Nilayam, and ordered the authorities to hand over the bungalow to Jayalalithaa’s legal heirs. Justice N Seshasayee delivered the judgment on a batch of petitions filed by J Deepa and J Deepak, the niece and nephew of Jayalalithaa.