Jaya statue unveiled at AIADMK headquarters

A new statue of former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa was on Wednesday unveiled at the AIADMK headquarters here, months after the one installed in February this year was removed for not resembling the late leader.

And there was a fresh controversy regarding the statue on Wednesday as well – the bust was not properly covered before it was unveiled by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam. Pictures of the statue being covered only by a white towel with Twiterrati criticising the AIADMK for “not even giving a proper cover” for the statue.

The new statue, sculpted by Rajkumar Udayar, and weight 800 kg was installed after the earlier one, unveiled on the 70th birth anniversary of the late chief minister, became the butt of ridicule. Many believed that the statue did not resemble Jayalalithaa.

Accordingly, the new statue was unveiled on Wednesday and is placed near that of party founder and former chief minister MG Ramachandran at the entrance of the AIADMK headquarters.

The DMK, including its President M K Stalin, also paid rich tributes to its departed chief M Karunanidhi at his burial place on Wednesday, marking 100 days of his death. The burial site, where a grand memorial is expected to be raised, was decked up with flowers.