Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam will on Monday meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and present a memorandum containing various demands including disbursal of financial aid to handle the devastating impact of Cyclone Vardah in Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts. The memorandum would contain many State-specific demands, an official release said.
During his meeting, Mr. Panneerselvam would urge the Prime Minister to posthumously present the country’s highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna, to late Chief Minister and AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa. Besides, he would request Mr. Modi to take steps to unveil a life-size bronze statue of Jayalalithaa in the Parliament House complex. Incidentally, she had served as a member of the Rajya Sabha between 1984 and 1989.
Currently, the complex has life-size bronze statues of late Chief Minister and AIADMK founder M.G. Ramachandran (MGR) and late Union Minister and DMK leader Murasoli Maran. Both these statues were unveiled in December 2006 at separate functions held on consecutive days. MGR too was posthumously presented the Bharat Ratna by the then Rajiv Gandhi Government at the Centre.
The first State Cabinet meeting chaired recently by Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam following Jayalalithaa’s death had unanimously resolved to urge the Central Government to present the Bharat Ratna to her and install her life-size bronze statue in Parliament complex in recognition of her services to the people.
Mr. Panneerselvam would return to Chennai on Monday itself, the official release added.
