Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M.K. Stalin paid respects to the statue of freedom fighter, Muthuramalinga Thevar at Goripalayam junction here on the occasion of his guru puja on Friday.
The CM and his cabinet colleagues garlanded the life-size statue early in the morning. They also paid floral tributes to the portrait of the leader at the junction. A large number of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam cadre stood en route and greeted the Chief Minister. A huge posse of police personnel, led by Commissioner of Police Prem Anand Sinha, was deployed in the city to provide bandobust.
Later, Mr. Stalin, accompanied by his party leaders I. Periyasamy, P. Moorthy and others garlanded the bronze statue.
The leaders also paid homage to the statues of freedom fighters Marudhu Brothers at Teppakulam before proceeding to Pasumpon.
With the COVID-19 restrictions imposed, the crowd from other districts, especially western districts that make a stop-over at Goripalayam junction on their way to Pasumpon, was absent.
Besides, the officials had convinced the political leaders and leaders of various organisations to desist from taking out processions from various parts of the city towards Goripalayam junction with milk pots and sprouts. “They agreed to offer the milk pots and sprouts to the statue of the freedom fighter in their area itself,” a police official said.
The police had also denied permission for public address system for the celebration in the city.
Leaders of various political parties, including Communist Party of India (Marxist) MP Su. Venkatesan, garlanded the statue.
Men, women and children participated in large numbers in the afternoon to garland the statue. Though traffic diversions were announced, movement of vehicles through the junction was not disrupted after the VIPs left the city.
