EPS, OPS to unveil Jayalalitha memorial tomorrow

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami will unveil the memorial of late AIADMK supremo J.Jayalalitha on the Marina beachfront on Wednesday.

Mr.Palaniswami, who is also the Joint Coordinator of ruling AIADMK, will unveil the memorial in the presence of Deputy CM and party’s Coordinator O.Panneerselvam.

All MPs, MLAs and party functionaries would be attending the function, according to an official release.

The unveiling of the memorial coincides with the release of Jayalalitha’s close aide V K Sasikala from Bengaluru prison.

She was convicted and sentenced to four year jail termin the disproportionate assets case in February 2017.

The prison authorities would formally release her from prison tomorrow, but Ms Sasikala was admitted to Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru after she tested positive for the COVID-19.

Only after she was discharged from the hospital, she was expected to return to Chennai.

It may be noted that Mr.Palaniswami while talking to newsmen in New Delhi after meeting the Prime Minister said 100 percent there was no chance of inducting Sasikala back into the AIADMK.

“She (Sasikala) is not a member of the party at all. Even when Ms.Jayalalitha was there, she was not a member of the party. Even if she comes out of prison, there is absolutely no chance of her coming back to the AIADMK,” he said.

The memorial, resembling a phoenix with two granite lion statues at the entrance, was built at a cost of Rs 57.96 crore, near the memorial of her political mentor and AIADMK Founder MGR.

The memorial houses a state-of-the-art museum and a knowledge park.

While the museum would have a chronicle of the events in Jayalalitha’s life through audio-visual presentations, photographs and virtual reality, the knowledge park would have digital shows on her achievements and speeches.

A life-size statue of Ms.Jayalalitha was also installed at the memorial.

Mr.Palaniswami laid the foundation for the memorial in 2018.

Since scores of AIADMK cadres are expected to throng the city for the event, the Chennai city police have announced traffic diversions on the arterial Kamaraj road from 0600 hrs in the morning till the function concludes. (UNI)