This Article is From Feb 25, 2019

Gold Rings, Medical Camps Mark Jayalalithaa's Birth Anniversary

Chief Minister K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam led the celebrations by cutting a 71-kg cake at the AIADMK headquarters.

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All India

On Jayalalithaa's birth anniversary, a 71 kilogram cake was cut by K Palaniswami at AIADMK headquarters.

Chennai:

Distribution of welfare aid, gold rings to newborns and medical camps marked the 71st birth anniversary celebrations of late AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa by the ruling party across Tamil Nadu on Sunday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah hailed the late leader for her services to the people.

Chief Minister K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam led the celebrations by cutting a 71-kg cake at the AIADMK headquarters.

The party flagged off a propaganda van aimed at reaching out to the people with the "achievements of the AIADMK and the state government".

A compact disc of the party's propaganda songs, titled "Ammavin Arasu" (Jayalalithaa's government), was also released on Jayalalithaa's Birth Anniversary.

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A photograph of Jayalalithaa with Prime Minister Narendra Modi (taken when she presented a memorandum to him years ago) was displayed, for the first time in the AIADMK headquarters premises, which already has a host of her photos, besides that of party founder MG Ramachandran.

"The premises were decorated with photos of Amma with great leaders, including Anna (Dravidian icon), Thanthai Periyar (reformist leader), former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Mother Teresa," a party office executive said.

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An 'Annadhanam,' (community feast) event was also organised at the headquarters premises for the anniversary.

Mr Panneerselvam and Mr Palaniswami, the AIADMK coordinator and co-coordinator, garlanded a statue of Jayalalithaa at the party office, distributed sweets and released a souvenir marking the occasion.

Mr Palaniswami also launched a state-wide drive to plant 71 lakh saplings on the occasion of Jayalalithaa's Birth Anniversary.

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PM Modi, whose party has entered into an alliance with the AIADMK for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, in a tweet said: "Tributes to Jayalalithaa Ji on her birth anniversary. Her contribution towards the development of Tamil Nadu will be remembered for generations."

Meanwhile, senior AIADMK leader and Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar presented gold rings to the babies born on Sunday at a government hospital.

A medical camp was held at the AIADMK headquarters, where diagnostic equipment were also brought in to detect heart ailments.

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The election propaganda committee, led by AIADMK propaganda secretary and Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai, deliberated on the modalities of taking forward the reach-out initiatives of the party.

Jayalalithaa died on December 5, 2016 in Chennai after a prolonged illness.

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