ADMK observes Jayalalithaa death anniversary

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu’s ruling Anna DMK on Wednesday marked the second death anniversary of J. Jayalalithaa, who passed away on Dec.5, 2016, when she was chief minister. The charismatic leader, fondly called Amma or mother, was admitted to Apollo Hospitals on Sept.22, 2016, after she collapsed at her Poes Garden home. During a 75-day hospital stay, she was treated for multiple diseases before she succumbed to a massive cardiac arrest on Dec.5.

Anna DMK members took out a silent march from Anna Salai to the memorial in honour of her memory at the Marina. Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, clad in black shirts, were among ADMK leaders who paid their respects at her memorial.

Rebel ADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran, who founded the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) recently, also led a procession to the memorial.

Meanwhile a one-man panel probing the death of Jayalalithaa has ordered a ban on news reports or debate on the probe by television channels and newspapers. The gag came after the main opposition DMK alleged there was a big mystery around her death, and demanded an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

VK Sasikala, Jayalalithaa’s trusted aide and Dhinarakan’s aunt, had raised objections to a programme aired by a local television channel titled “Jaya death mystery.”

Justice Arumugaswamy commission has asked news agencies to submit any evidence they may have on the death of Jayalalithaa.

Nine months after her death, Forest Minister Dindigul C. Sreenivasan asked for the public’s forgiveness for lying about her health when she was at hospital. “None of us saw Jayalalithaa when she was hospitalised... We were forced to lie,” Sreenivasan said, adding fuel to the DMK’S demand for an investigation.

Meanwhile a doctor who is a close relative of Sasikala has testiied before the panel, saying the late chief minister had certain speciic preferences about her food. “There was no pleasure for her other than having the food of her choice,” Dr KS Sivakumar told the Commission.

Sivakumar, a plastic surgeon who co-ordinated Jayalalithaa’s treatment, said: “I am aware about doctors telling her about diet and exercise...amma had said she had no pleasure other than having the food of her choice.”