Panneerselvam, VK Sasikala, senior AIADMK leaders pay floral tribute to Jayalalitha

Chennai (Tamil Nadu, India): Rich tributes were paid to Tamil Nadu's former Chief Minister and iconic leader J Jayalalithaa on her 74th birth anniversary on Thursday.

The state government led by secretary of Tamil Development and Information Department Mahesan Kasirajan and Director of DIPR V P Jeyaseelan paid floral tributes to a portrait of the six-time Chief Minister kept at her decorated statue on Kamarajar Road here.

AIADMK leaders: O Panneerselvam, party's coordinator, and K Palaniswami, co-coordinator, led the party in paying floral tributes to their leader whom they fondly address as Amma and Puratchi Thalaivi (revolutionary leader).

Jayalalithaa (February 24, 1948 - December 5, 2016) was instrumental in ensuring 69 per cent reservation in Tamil Nadu. Her numerous welfare initiatives such as Amma canteen, Amma pharmacy and gold for Thali (mangalsutra) for poor women, free laptop for students, to name a few, were a spontaneous hit among the people.

Recalling her often quoted catchphrase: I am because of the people, I am for the people (Makkalal naan, makkalukkagave naan), Palaniswami called upon the party members to take a pledge to fulfill the aspirations of the revolutionary leader. Meanwhile, the AIADMK members elected in the just concluded urban civic polls in the state dedicated their victory to the late Chief Minister. Party members distributed sweets and organised Annadhanam to mark the occasion.

Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai, AMMK general secretary T T V Dhinakaran and her former aide V K Sasikala were also among those who paid floral tributes to the leader.

Her Poes Garden residence here sprang to life today with her niece and nephew J Deepa and Deepak, paying floral tributes to a decorated portrait of Jayalalithaa. (PTI)