A 67 kg cake, special poojas and a slew of welfare activities marked the 67th birthday of AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa on Tuesday.Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among those who greeted the former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister.
“Birthday greetings to Jayalalithaa ji. May she be blessed with a long life, filled with good health,” Modi tweeted.
Birthday greetings to Jayalalithaa ji. May she be blessed with a long life, filled with good health.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi)
>February 24, 2015Tamil Nadu Governor K. Rosaiah also greeted Ms. jayalalithaa, wishing her a long life and good health.
Rosaiah sent a flower bouquet and in his message, hailed her ‘leadership skills’ and ‘commitment for people’, an AIADMK release in Chennai said.
“He wished her all success in her service to the people and wished good health and happiness,” it added.
Jayalalithaa, who is out on bail after being sentenced to four years in jail in a graft case by a Bengaluru special court, had a quite day.
The party headquarters at Royapettah here wore a festive look with Cabinet Ministers, including Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, and other supporters thronging it.
A 67-kg cake, denoting the age of the ‘Puratchi Thalaivi’ (revolutionary leader) as she is addressed by partymen, was cut at the party headquarters by Social Welfare Minister P Valarmathi and sweets were distributed.
A souvenir was also released on the occasion.
The AIADMK Government launched a sapling plantation drive to coincide with Jayalalithaa’s birthday. Chief Minister Panneeselvam planted the first sapling at the Marundeeswarar Temple in Thiruvanmiyur.
A State Government release said that drought—resistant varieties will be planted and the initiative will be completed by December this year.
It was a practice of Jayalalithaa to launch such a sapling plantation drive as Chief Minister, with programmes scheduled just a few days ahead of her birthday. She herself had initiated programmes to plant 64 lakh, 65 lakh and 66 lakh saplings in 2012, 2013 and 2014 respectively.
The Rs 52.72 crore effort was being continued as it was “well received” by people, the release said adding that 2,09,375 saplings will be planted in each of the 32 districts in the State.
Special prayers at religious places were conducted for the former Chief Minister’s acquittal in the asset case, while mass marriages and welfare activities marked the day for her supporters.
Convicted in the Rs 66.66 crore disproportionate assets case by the Bengaluru court in September last year, Jayalalithaa has challenged the verdict in the Karnataka High Court.
While Ministers were at the forefront of organising special prayers including pulling temple cars praying for the well—being of their “Amma” (mother), a Jayalalithaa loyalist and martial arts expert Shihan Hussaini had “crucified” himself for six minutes and seven seconds on Monday as part of celebrating her birthday.