Ahead of Tamil Nadu elections, CM Palaniswami to inaugurate temple dedicated to J Jayalalithaa, MGR today

Chennai, Jan 30: Ahead of Tamil Nadu Assembly election 2021, a temple dedicated to late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and her mentor MG Ramachandran in Madurai will be inaugurated by State Chief Minister E Palaniswami today (January 30).

The temple, that was commissioned by the state Revenue Minister RB Udhayakumar whom Ms Jayalalithaa had first inducted into the cabinet, has been constructed on a one-and-a-half-acre plot near the city's T Kallupatti area at a cost of Rs 50 lakh. It contains bronze statues of the two leaders.

"We call our Amma (J Jayalalithaa) with different names of Goddesses like 'Idhaya Theivam (Goddess of Hearts), Kaval Theivam (Guardian Goddess) and Kulasamy (Goddess of our Tribe), and this temple only formalises that. We have enough space around the temple for people to come and worship," the minister said.

When asked if the temple had been built to garner people's sympathy in view of the upcoming election, the minister said, "Both MGR and Jayalalithaa have sacrificed a lot and we regard them as God and Goddess".

J Jayalalithaa had a considerable clout in the state and her party, AIADMK. MLAs and ministers used to prostrate before her. Some of them would even worship her helicopter with hands folded and footwear removed.

A lower court had convicted the four-time chief minister in the disproportionate assets case, but the high court acquitted her later. However, she died before the Supreme Court ultimately upheld the conviction in 2017, and sent three others, including her friend VK Sasikala, to four years in jail.