Controversies associated with late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa continue to flourish in the State even one year after her demise. The latest to hit the headlines is the foundation stone laying ceremony for the memorial to be built at the Marina Beach in Chennai where the late Chief Minister was interred on December 6, 2016.
The function, attended by Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswamy and Deputy Chief Minister O Paneerselcan with most of the party MPs, MlAs and office bearers, was held in typical Vedic style under the command of two Brahmin priests specially summoned for the ceremony. Amidst recitation of Vedic hymns and playing of nadaswaram music, Palaniswamy and Panneerselan laid the foundation stone for the Rs 50 crore memorial at 9.30 am, well past the inauspicious Rahu Kalam.
The DMK, for which anything associated with the Vedic rituals is an anathema, fired the first salvo with party spokesman S Saravanan coming out assailing the State Government for conducting a religious ceremony. “This has never happened in Tamil Nadu before. The party can have a private yagna, but it cannot be a part of the Government function. This is yet another proof of the AIADMK paying obeisance to the BJP, their masters,” said Saravanan.
The memorial, designed in the style of a phoenix bird, will highlight the achievements of Jayalalithaa. “She was known for her come backs and fight-to-the-finish approach. Whenever she lost an election, she had staged remarkable come backs surprising her critics and rivals,” said A Ramachandran, who heads the social media wing of the AIADMK.
Palaniswamy, who spoke to the media after the ceremony said the works of the memorial would be completed in one year and it would be dedicated to the nation on February 24, 2019, Amma’s birthday. “The memorial would house a knowledge park and museum,” said Palaniswamy.
Hundreds of people from different places in Tamil Nadu had thronged the final resting place of Jayalalithaa since Sunday evening to attend the function and pay their respects to the late leader.
Veda Nilayam, the residence owned by Jayalalithaa is getting ready to be declared as a national memorial for the late chief minister. The Marina Beach in Chennai is the final resting place of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagan founder C N Annadurai, AIADMK founder M G Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa, who died in office. It is not known whether former chief ministers would be accommodated in the beach after their death.