Workers of the AIADMK fully lit up Chennai and remaining parts of Tamil Nadu to usher in Diwali on Friday itself though the festival of lights is still five days away. The whole State went into celebration mood as TV screens flashed news of the Supreme Court granting bail to party supremo and former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa who was convicted and sentenced by the Special Court in Bangalore in the disproportionate wealth case for four years imprisonment and a fine of Rs100 crore.
The roads leading to Veda Nilayam, the Poes Garden residence of Jayalalithaa and the AIADMK headquarters in Chennai city saw an ocean of humanity since Friday morning. In contrast to the ambience witnessed last week when the Karnataka High Court refused bail to Jayalalithaa, her followers wore sombre looks till news about the granting of bail was announced by the news channels. Till then all of them were seen chanting Ohm Namashivaya and Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare... in unison at the party headquarters as well as at Poes Garden.
The moment it was announced that Amma has been granted bail, the whole locality erupted with drum beats and bursting of fire crackers. Interestingly, the party cadre shouted slogans describing Amma is the God of Tamil Nadu and she will come successful in the case. The dressing down the AIADMK leaders got from the Supreme Court has done wonders as the party workers did not utter anything against their bête noire Dr Subramanian Swamy, the senior BJP leader who filed the case against Jayalalithaa which resulted in her conviction.
By evening, Jayalalithaa issued a statement from the Parappana Agrahara jail itself, asking the party cadre not to violate discipline and decorum. She also asked the party leaders as well as the cadre not to criticise the court verdicts and stay away from criticising the political rivals on this account.
“We are ready to sacrifice our life for Amma. Her’s is the first and last word for us. If she asks us to shut up, we will not open out mouth till she revokes the order. Now that she is coming back to Chennai, half our worries are over. We re sure she will come out with flying colours from this case,” said Rama Ramanathan, a senior AIADMK leader from Kumbhakonam who has been campaigning at Parappana Agrahara for the last one week praying for the early release of his supreme leader.