TN celebrates MGR's 101st birth anniversary celebrations

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam garlanded a statue of Ramachandran, a former matinee idol who later went on to become the Chief Minister, at the AIADMK headquarters here.

Palaniswami paid floral tributes to a portrait of MGR, as he was fondly called, at the Dr MGR Medical University, with his cabinet colleagues in tow.

AIADMK leaders and workers elsewhere in the state also paid floral tributes to portraits of MGR at party offices.

A charismatic superstar, MGR a recipient of the Bharat Ratna, is a legendary name in Tamil cinema. He made a name in state politics after he broke away from the DMK following differences with its chief M Karunanidhi and founded AIADMK in 1972.

Known for his flamboyant acting and songs preaching values and virtues, Ramachandran ruled the state from 1977 till his death in 1987.