‘Govt closed Jaya memorial to keep Sasi from visiting’

‘Govt closed Jaya memorial to keep Sasi from visiting’

Shanmughasundaram.J@timesgroup.com

Chennai:04.02.2021

DMK youth wing secretary Udhayanidhi Stalin on Wednesday said the AIADMK government had closed Jayalalithaa’s memorial on the Marina, immediately after its inauguration, fearing that her erstwhile confidante V K Sasikala would visit the place and draw political mileage out of it by taking yet another pledge as she did before her imprisonment four years ago.

Calling Sasikala a “talented” woman, Udhayanidhi said chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, who was handpicked by Sasikala to be the CM, and his deputy O Panneerselvam had inaugurated Jayalalithaa memorial on the day of Sasikala’s release from prison to divert media attention from her return to Tamil Nadu. “She outsmarted them by delaying her return to Tamil Nadu,” said Udhayanidhi while speaking at a public meeting in Kancheepuram.

EPS and OPS have closed the memorial now to prevent Sasikala from visiting the place, he said. Sasikala would give back to EPS in style for the betrayal he has meted out to her, said Udhayanidhi. Panneerselvam, who raised doubts about the death of Jayalalithaa, would face music too, he said.

The AIADMK leaders would be taught a fitting lesson by the people of the state in the coming assembly polls, he said. He kickstarted the ‘Vidiyalai Nokki Stalinin Koral’ campaign from the party founder and former CM C N Annadurai’s memorial. Before the campaign started, he, along with hundreds of party cadres, took out a silent rally in Kancheepuram town to mark the death anniversary of Annadurai.

Expressing confidence that the people of the state would replicate the outcome of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Udhayanidhi said Stalin had set his target on winning 200 seats in the assembly. The ruling AIADMK had become a slave of the Modi government at the Centre, he said. He cited implementation of NEET as an instance to buttress his point. Once in power, Stalin would get exemption for Tamil Nadu students from NEET, he said.