Jayalalithaa turned 68 on Wednesday.
By Sreekanth A Nair
The rank and file of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) is gearing up for the week-long birthday celebrations of party supremo and chief minister of Tamil Nadu J Jayalalithaa, who turned 68 on Wednesday.
Party members and leaders across the state offered prayers, offered free food and planted saplings as part of the celebrations.
In the state capital Chennai, 1000 party workers put ‘amma tattoos’ on their forearms. Life-size cutouts of Jayalalithaa have placed in various places across the state. Old Tamil film songs featuring former Chief Minister and AIADMK founder MG Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa were played in streets.
Leaders also cut 68 kg cake to mark the birthday of their leader.
Many political leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Tamil Nadu Governor K Rosaiah, US Consul General in Chennai, Philip A Min, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and TRS MP and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, K Kavita, greeted Jayalalithaa.
“Birthday wishes to Jayalalithaa ji. May Almighty bless her with a long life, filled with good health,” Narendra Modi tweeted.
“Your rich acumen, wisdom, dynamism and affection towards the people have made Tamil Nadu a model state for people’s welfare projects. I wish you a long, happy and healthy life in your mission to steer Tamil Nadu to greater heights,” K Rosaiah said in his message.
Party leader MV Karuppaiah went crazy to celebrate his chief’s birthday. He floated in the government swimming pool in Madurai for an hour holding a party flag in his mouth.
Sixty eight special medical camps were conducted in the state as part of the celebration. 68 couples got married in a function. Hindu religious and charitable endowments department that possesses most of the temples in the state will plant 68 lakh saplings across 6,868 temples in all 32 districts.
On Wednesday, free food was provided in ‘Amma Canteen’ set up by the AIADMK government to make the celebrations more popular.
The part has also decided to provide a gold chain or gold ring to every newborn in government hospitals. Chennai Municipal Corporation will deposit $145 in the name of every girl born in the government hospitals of the city.
IT wing of the party has set up a special phone line to wish the Chief Minister on her birthday. “We have received 18 lakh calls as of 12 noon today and we expect to cross 25 lakh by midnight,” IT Wing Secretary K Swaminathan said.
However, opposition party Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) had published advertisements in newspapers ahead of the birthday of Jayalalithaa alleging that she was staying away from the people of Tamil Nadu.
1 Comment
Please I am join to amma party ……?