Jayalalithaa’s memorial has been built at a cost of Rs 79.75 crore and is shaped like a phoenix.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam on Wednesday unveiled the grand phoenix-shaped memorial for former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Kamarajar Road. Ministers, top leaders of the AIADMK and hundreds of functionaries attended the inauguration.
The inauguration comes on the day that VK Sasikala, aide of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, was formally released from the Bengaluru jail, where she is serving her four-year sentence in the disproportionate assets case. Sasikala, however, is being treated in a hospital in Bengaluru for COVID-19. Her return to Chennai has as a consequence been delayed. Sasikala was expelled by the AIADMK in September 2017, which was the merger of the two factions – one led by Edappadi Palaniswami and the other by O Paneerselvam.
Edappadi Palaniswami had inspected the final touches on the memorial on Tuesday, surveying the nine acre land which also has the memorial of former Chief Minister MG Ramachandran. Jayalalithaa’s memorial has been built at a cost of Rs.79.75 crore and in addition to being shaped like a phoenix, also has lions flanking either side of the structure. It also hosts a statue of Jayalalithaa and an MGR with an artificial waterfall at the entrance.
The project was envisioned soon after Jayalalithaa’s death and the foundation stone was laid in 2018 but problems arose after opposition leaders raised objection to the memorial, stating that the former CM had been convicted in a corruption case and that it was inappropriate to build such a structure for her.
In April 2019, the Supreme Court had declined to consider a plea against the construction of the memorial. The plea came to the apex court after the Madras High Court dismissed the petition in January 2019. In the plea, the petitioner had argued that Jayalalithaa was a convict in the disproportionate assets case, however, the court pointed out that the tag of ‘convict’ was removed after she died.
Using the stage at the inauguration to make a political statement, the Chief Minister lashed out at DMK chief MK Stalin and his opposition to the memorial.
“DMK Chief MK Stalin used a benami to oppose the memorial in court,” said the CM. “It shows their evil intention, to now allow this memorial to be built. His benami was fored to take back the case. Stalin’s disguise was exposed,” he added.
The government is further converting her Poes Garden residence (Veda Nilayam) into a memorial, against the Madras High Court’s suggestion. Veda Nilayam will be opened to the public on Thursday, January 28. Jayalalithaa’s niece and nephew, Deepak and Deepa have both vehemently opposed this. On Wednesday, the Madras High Court rejected a plea to hear the case filed by Deepak challenging a law enacted for converting Veda Nilayam into a memorial. The court said the case would be taken up for hearing as per course. It added that the inauguration of Veda Nilayam would be subject to the verdict of the case.
Source: The News Minute