Corridors of Power: It didn’t slip her mind this time

While going to Bangalore, Jayalalithaa did not offer prayers at a temple as her wont. But she did, while returning home

October 20, 2014 11:07 am | Updated May 23, 2016 06:55 pm IST

SALEM 18/10/2014: Poster of 10th death anniversary of Veerappan appear in Salem, Tamil Nadu. PHOTO: E_LAKSHMI NARAYANAN

SALEM 18/10/2014: Poster of 10th death anniversary of Veerappan appear in Salem, Tamil Nadu. PHOTO: E_LAKSHMI NARAYANAN

Every time she flies out of Chennai, AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa makes a brief halt at the Varasiddhi Vinayagar Temple at Kotturpuram on the way to the airport. The morning she left for Bangalore on September 27 — the judgment day in the disproportionate assets case at the Bangalore special court — she did not offer prayers at this small temple. Police sources say all arrangements were made at the temple but her convoy did not stop. The court sentenced her to four-year imprisonment. And when she returned home on bail, the former Chief Minister did not forget to stop for a minute at the temple entrance and offer prayers from her car.

When AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa returned to Chennai, a few senior leaders were at the airport to greet her. They included party presidium chairman E. Madhusudanan, Vishalakshi Nedunchezhian, Panruti S. Ramachandran, P.H. Pandian and C. Ponnaiyan. The only other surprise invitee was Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi leader Panruti T. Velmurugan. His support to the AIADMK during the Lok Sabha elections split the OBC ‘Vanniyar’ votes, especially in Cuddalore and Villupuram districts. Besides, he has been defending her policies in various public forums, say party sources.

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Even 10 years after his death, the memory of forest brigand Veerappan is keeping the police on their toes. Though his 10th death anniversary was a low-key affair, it kept the official machinery, in particular the police, in tenterhooks for more than a week. Already overburdened with the political developments in the State, the officials underwent anxious moments when posters displayed in the name of Muthulakshmi, wife of Veerappan and some Tamil outfits like Naam Tamizhar Katchi, eulogising the bandit and urging the people to participate in his death anniversary and pay ‘Veera Vanakkam’ to him, appeared in Salem city and across the district.

The observance, however, passed off peacefully.

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Even as dissenting voices have come from many quarters over the continuing display of the former Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa’s photograph in government offices, a recent meeting convened by the Tirupur Collector to discuss matters related to the photo electoral rolls saw a different demand coming to the fore to convey the same message subtly.

CPI district secretary M. Subramanian said his party did not want Ms. Jayalalithaa’s photograph to be removed, but wanted the administration to immediately exhibit the photographs of all former Chief Ministers. Knowing the difficulty of the task, the officials kept mum.

( Reporting by S. Vijay Kumar, B. Aravind Kumar, Syed Muthahar Saqf and R. Vimal Kumar )

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