Chennai : A life-size statue of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa was unveiled and the ruling AIADMK’s official Tamil daily launched on Saturday at the party headquarters here on her 70th birth anniversary, which was celebrated by party cadre across Tamil Nadu.
Chief Minister K Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam, who are also AIADMK coordinators, unveiled the bronze statue of the late leader at the party headquarters here.
They also launched the party’s official Tamil daily ‘Namadhu Puratchi Thalaivi Amma,’ (Our Revolutionary Leader Amma) on the occasion.
‘Dr Namadhu MGR,’ which was founded by Jayalalithaa and previously was the official Tamil daily of the AIADMK, is now aligned towards sidelined leader T T V Dhinakaran and V K Sasikala, who is in jail, reports PTI.
A festive mood was palpable at the party headquarters on the occasion of Jayalalithaa’s birth anniversary, the first such event after Palaniswami and Panneerselvam came together, easing out Sasikala and her kin Dhinakaran from the party last year.
The statue of Jayalalithaa, with a rose garland and the party’s two-leaves symbol in her right hand, was unveiled near the one of AIADMK founder M G Ramachandran, which was also decorated.
As the statue was unveiled, firecrackers were burst and sweets distributed among party cadre who raised slogans hailing Jayalalithaa. Several events, including community feasts and distribution of aid to the needy, were held by party functionaries and cadre across the state. Similar events were also held by rival leader Dhinakaran.
Believe it! This is Jaya’s statue
Chennai : On late Jayalalithaa’s 70th birth anniversary, the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu chose to unveil her life size bronze statue alongside that of the party’s founder M G Ramachandran at the AIADMK headquarters here on Saturday. However, her followers were shocked when Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami unveiled the statue along with his deputy O Panneerselvam. The statue bore no resemblance to Jayalalithaa except for her physique.
Within no time Twiterrati was having fun asking netizens to recognise whose statue was it. Some commented that since in her lifetime the AIADMK leaders only bent, crawled and prostrated before her in a show of sycophancy, they never got an opportunity to see her face. Second line leadership of the party were left red faced over the development.