Chennai: Exactly a week after he announced that he was forced to quit as Chief Minister, O. Panneerselvam, flanked by MLAs and MPs in his camp, paid a visit to late Jayalalithaa’s burial site at Marina and offered homage late on Tuesday night.
At the same time, ending days of speculation on whether she would join hands with Mr Panneerselvam, Deepa Jayakumar, late Jayalalithaa’s niece, said she would work with him as if they are “two hands of the AIADMK”.
Minutes after his arrival at the memorial, Ms Deepa also reached the venue and jointly paid homage to the late Chief Minister at the burial site for about 20 minutes. “We will work together jointly as two hands of AIADMK in future for the people of Tamil Nadu. He asked for justice. I too ask the same,” Ms Deepa told reporters.
Education minister K. Pandiarajan, former electricity minister 'Natham' Viswanathan, AIADMK MPs including V. Maitreyan, senior party leaders C Ponnaiyan and E Madhusudhanan were also at the memorial.
After paying homage Ms Deepa went to the house of Mr Panneerselvam at Greenways Road and was given a traditional welcome by family members of the Chief Minister.
Recently, Mr Panneerselvam had said Deepa and her brother Deepak were the only blood relations of Jayalalithaa.
“When Amma’s mortal remains were in the hospital on the night of December 5, she (Deepa) was not allowed to pay her respects even at that time,” he had alleged.
