Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palanisamy on Thursday announced a Commission of Inquiry to probe the death of J Jayalalithaa, eight months after her demise.
Palanisamy also announced that Jayalalithaa's Poes Garden residence in Chennai will be turned into a memorial that will be run by the government.
The announcements have virtually sealed the deal for a merger with rebel leader and former chief minister O Panneerselvam's AIADMK faction since these are his two key demands.
The 68-year-old former chief minister and AIADMK supreme died following a cardiac arrest on December 5 after being in hospital for 75 days.
Besides the formal expulsion of AIADMK interim chief VK Sasikala and her nephew deputy general secretary TTV Dhinakaran has also been sought by Panneerselvam.
Flanked by senior cabinet colleagues, Finance Minister D Jayakumar, Forest Minister Dindigul C Srinivasan and Power Minister P Thangamani, Palanisamy said that the Commission of Inquiry will be set up and headed by a retired judge of the Madras High Court.
He said the name of the judge will be announced later. Hailing Jayalalithaa's contribution to Tamil Nadu, he said following representations from a cross-section of people, her residence at Poes Garden will be turned into a government memorial and opened for public viewing.
Jayalalithaa was admitted to hospital on September 22.
