Jaya, party activists pay floral tributes to MGR

Chennai, Dec 24 (UNI) AIADMK Supremo and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and party activists today paid floral tributes to late Tamil Nadu chief minister M G Ramachandran on his 19th death anniversary at the MGR memorial here.

Former AIADMK Minister and Party's Election Wing Secretary O Pannerselvam administered a pledge to the party activists, urging them to follow the path of late leaders and to work for bringing AIADMK back to power in the state, besides ushering a new alliance at the Centre during the next Lok Sabha elections to unseat and eradicate the enemies of Tamils who were putting the Mullaperiyar Dam issue into a more complicated situation like Cauveri river water dispute for personal gain.

Members of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry MGR Manitha Neya Mandrangal and other well wishers observed a day's silence today to commemorate the late leader.

They also urged the Tamil Nadu government to declare January 17, the birthday of MGR as ''Humanitarians Day'' and declare open the MGR's memorial at Marina here.

Leaders of various political parties, including MGR Kazhagam Founder President and former AIADMK Minister R M Veerappan, New Justice Party President A C Shanmugam, Jananayaka Munnetra Kazhaam President Jagatrakshakan, BJP leader Kasi Muthuimanickam and family members of MGR also paid floral tributes at the memorial.

DMDK Founder President and actor turned politician Vijayakant also paid floral tribute to the portrait of late leader at his party's head quarter here.

Apart from garlanding MGR statues at different places in the state, decorated portraits of MGR were also placed at public places to mark the occasion.

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