: With Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa undergoing treatment at Apollo Hospitals for the past four weeks, the ruling AIADMK’s 45th Founding Day celebrations on Monday were devoid of the usual revelry.
At the party’s headquarters in Chennai, AIADMK’s presidium chairman E. Madhusudhanan garlanded the statue of party founder and former Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran, hoisted the party’s flag and presented the ‘Founder’s Day Malar’ (souvenir) to Namakkal district literary wing secretary S. Anbazhagan and party cadre. In the past, Ms. Jayalalithaa has been doing the honours ever since she took over as the party general secretary after MGR’s death. State ministers including O. Panneerselvam and Edapadi K. Palanisamy were among those participated in the event.
Though sombre in their celebrations and awaiting the news of Ms. Jayalalithaa’s return, the cadre were extremely critical of DMK and its president M. Karunanidhi, who, they claimed was behind the rumours about their leader’s health.
Mullai Dayalan, a councillor from Avadi, said, “We are standing here but all our heart is in Apollo Hospitals. Only Amma (Jayalalithaa) can take on the DMK. Today, she has surpassed MGR’s legacy.”
Former Rajya Sabha MP S. Muthu Mani recalled that “when MGR was hospitalised, questions were raised if the party could even face elections without him. But, Amma campaigned for the party and won. We, and the people, see her as the very reincarnation of MGR.”
