Chennai: Clad in black shirts and spotless white dhotis, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and Deputy CM O. Panneerselvam led the state in paying tributes to former CM J. Jayalalithaa on her third death anniversary here on Thursday.
The Chief Minister who is AIADMK co-cordinator and Deputy CM who is AIADMK’s coordinator led a silent procession of their party members from the statue of late Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai on Anna Salai-Wallajah Road junction here, to the Marina where Jaya’s samadhi is situated. Vehicular traffic on Wallajah Road, parts of Anna Salai and Kamarajar Salai was affected owing to the mammoth procession taken out by the AIADMK members. Over 2,000 party men took part in the procession, said sources.
At the memorial of Jayalalithaa, Mr Palaniswami, Mr Panneerselvam and others paid floral tributes. Senior leaders, Ministers and senior party functionaries too wore black shirts to observe the death anniversary of their late leader.
Jayalalithaa’s burial site was decked up for her anniversary and various hued flowers were arranged aesthetically. Red rose which was also used to decorate, was conspicuous. A memorial, modelled on a phoenix is coming up on the site of the samadhi at the Marina beachfront and a foundation stone for the `50 crore project was laid last year by Mr. Palaniswami and Mr. Panneerselvam.
After paying floral tributes at Jayalalithaa’s memorial, AIADMK leaders took a pledge to carry forward the party and take the welfare schemes to the general public. Mr. Panneerselvam administered the pledge to the party leaders. Mr. Palaniswami called upon the partymen to observe a two-minute silence to remember their party leader. The leaders also vowed to protect their party to win in all the elections and remain united.
“Rather than asking what the party did for you, let us ask what we did for the party and let us work with unity for the people,” Mr. Panneerselvam said. The AIADMK leaders also vowed to be true loyalists to the party following the way shown by “Puratchi Thalaivi Amma,” (Revolutionary leader Jayalalithaa) and continue to tell the people the growth achieved by Tamil Nadu as a result of her initiatives and welfare schemes of the AIADMK government to expand the footprint of the party in the State.
Mr Palaniswami hailed Jayalalithaa for her “historic achievements” and relentless work for people’s welfare even at the cost of her health and said her memories continue to be etched in people’s minds.
“Amma’s fame will continue to prevail in this country though years may roll by,” he said.
