Senior DMK Minister and party's general secretary Durai Murugan has revealed that he has spoken to former Chief Minister and ADMK's leader Edappadi Palaniswami on the instruction of the latter's successor MK Stalin. On the front of why he called his rival, Durai Murugan has said that he called the ADMK leader to participate in a ceremony that was organized in the assembly to unveil the portrait of late Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on Monday.

Durai Murugan is the senior-most leader in the DMK currently and he has been serving as the Tamil Nadu Minister of Water Resources in Stalin's cabinet. On Monday, President Ram Nath Kovind has unveiled the portrait of Karunanidhi in the Tamil Nadu assembly, and with the view of having the participation of parties, the DMK government has invited the party leaders and the government has also invited actor Rajinikanth. 

However, ADMK has boycotted the ceremony to the fullest as the party has failed to send a single representative to the ceremony. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has tasked Durai Murugan to invite ADMK's joint coordinator and Opposition leader of the assembly Edappadi Palaniswami. Durai Murugan has spoken to Palaniswami over the phone and invited him for the function. However, the DMK Minister said that the ADMK leader has declined to participate in the function despite making a personal invite. 

While addressing the reporters on Tuesday, Durai Murugan has revealed he has spoken with Edappadi Palaniswami and said, "On the instruction of our Chief Minister MK Stalin, I personally spoke to former Chief Minister and leader of the Opposition Palaniswami over the phone and invited him for the ceremony. Chief Minister MK Stalin has also directed to reserve a chair for Palaniswami on the stage so that he can share the dais with the President and the Governor."

"But, Palaniswami has preferred to inform the assembly secretary about his non-participation", Durai Murugan added. The DMK Minister further said that he not only invited Edappadi Palaniswami to just attend the function but also to offer his felicitations to late Chief Minister M Karunanidhi. Durai Murugan, in a tone of expressing disappointment, said that Palaniswami has declined his invite and refused to inform him about his non-participation. 

Durai Murugan has also addressed why the DMK has decided to boycott the ceremony of unveiling the portrait of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in the assembly when it was the opposition party. He said that the DMK has decided to boycott the ceremony as the then state ruling ADMK government under Palaniswami didn't provide due respect to the DMK and its leaders. Durai Murugan noted that there was no personal invite to DMK's MK Stalin like how he did to Palaniswami now and the ADMK regime had merely sent an invitation card to the DMK to attend the unveiling of Jayalalithaa's portrait in the assembly. 

Durai Murugan has said that he would like to thank Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai from his heart for participating in the function. On Monday, nearly four months after taking over the reign by ousting the ADMK regime, the DMK government has unveiled M Karunanidhi's portrait in the assembly, which has become the 16th portrait to be walled in the house of a historical monument. President Ram Nath Kovind has unveiled the portrait of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. 

The portrait of Karunanidhi, who had served in the assembly 13 times, was unveiled by President three years after the death of the former. While the DMK cadres and leaders had described it as a historical day and moment, the state opposition party ADMK has boycotted the ceremony by accusing the DMK government of deliberately changing the history and celebrating the event. The ADMK has said that Monday has marked the centenary anniversary, not of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, but the Tamil Nadu Legislative Council, which currently doesn't exist in the state. Senior ADMK leader D Jayakumar has accused the DMK regime of changing the history of the assembly.