Tamil Nadu cabinet moves resolution to recommend Bharat Ratna for Jaya

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu cabinet, headed by newly appointed Chief Minister Panneerselvam, moved a resolution to to recommend Bharat Ratna for Jayalalithaa on Saturday.

The Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award in the country and names for the top honour are recommended by the Prime Minister and President. Jaya’s mentor M. G. Ramachandran (MGR) was bestowed with the award posthumously in 1988 for his contribution in the field of both cinema and politics.

"A resolution was adopted in the Cabinet to recommend to the Centre to award Bharat Ratna to honourable Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa," an official statement detailing the decision taken in the meeting said.

The cabinet also moved a resolution to request the Central government to install a bronze statue of their leader who was fondly known as ‘Amma’ inside the Parliament campus.

The state government decided to rename the MGR memorial to 'Bharat Ratna Dr. MGR and Jayalalithaa' memorial. It also decided to build a memorial for Jaya at a cost of Rs 15 crore.

Ever since Jayalalithaa was buried some 30 metres away from where her mentor M.G. Ramachandran lies, thousands of AIADMK cadre and common people have been streaming in to pay their respects to the late Chief Minister.