Palaniswami invites Modi to be chief guest at events to honour Jaya, MGR

MK stalwarts and former chief ministers M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa. A portrait of Jayalalithaa will be unveiled in the chambers of the Tamil Nadu assembly in July.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be the chief guest at two events to honour late AIADMK stalwarts and former chief ministers M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa. A portrait of Jayalalithaa will be unveiled in the chambers of the Tamil Nadu assembly in July, while a valedictory function of party founder MGR's birth centenary celebrations will be held in Chennai in December.

"We have extended an invitation to the unveiling of portrait of J Jayalalithaa and also to the centenary celebrations of MGR," Palaniswami rpt Palaniswami told reporters after a nearly hour-long meeting with the PM at his residence. "There were no discussions on politics. I had submitted a memorandum to the PM raising several state-specific issues," he added.

Release of pending funds from the Centre, exemption of TN students from NEET and the setting up of an AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) in the state were some of the demands mentioned in the memorandum. He also urged the PM to direct the Kerala government to roll back its plans to construct check dams across the Bhavani river, he said.

The Tamil Nadu CM's interaction with Modi came five days after former chief minister O Panneerselvam's meeting with the PM. OPS too had denied discussing politics with Modi. Palaniswami had also written a letter to Modi asking him to allot a date convenient for him to attend MGR's birth centenary celebration. In a separate letter, he invited him to unveil the portrait of J Jayalalithaa.

The decision to unveil the portrait in the state assembly was taken at a cabinet meeting in December 2016 chaired by then chief minister O Panneerselvam, who revolted against AIADMK chief VK Sasikala in February, before going on to lead a faction in the ruling party. Palaniswami succeeded him as chief minister later that month.

PTI