Jayalalithaa birth anniversary: AIADMK launches Tamil daily, unveils statue

Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam, who are also AIADMK coordinators, unveiled the bronze statue of the late leader at the party headquarters here.

They also launched the party's official Tamil daily 'Namadhu Puratchi Thalaivi Amma,' (Our Revolutionary Leader Amma) on the occasion.

'Dr Namadhu MGR,' which was founded by Jayalalithaa and previously was the official Tamil daily of the AIADMK, is now aligned towards side-lined leader TTV Dinakaran and VK Sasikala, who is in jail.

A festive mood was palpable at the party headquarters on the occasion of Jayalalithaa's birth anniversary, the first such event after Palaniswami and Panneerselvam came together, easing out Sasikala and her kin Dinakaran from the party last year.

The statue of Jayalalithaa, with a rose garland and the party's two-leaves symbol in her right hand, was unveiled near the one of AIADMK founder MG Ramachandran, which was also decorated.

As the statue was unveiled, firecrackers were burst and sweets distributed among party cadre who raised slogans hailing Jayalalithaa. Several events, including community feasts and distribution of aid to the needy, were held by party functionaries and cadre across the state.

Similar events were also held by rival leader Dinakaran.

At Ambasamudram in Tirunelveli district, gold rings were presented to babies born today at a government hospital there.