J Jayalalithaa's first death anniversary: Rival OPS-EPS, Dhinakaran factions take out separate rallies in Chennai today

The first death anniversary of the late AIADMK leader and former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa is being observed on Tuesday. The ruling party, and its rival faction have planned to take out separate rallies to mourn their leader.

Tamil Nadu: People gather at Jaya memorial in Chennai on former Chief Minister #Jayalalithaa's first death anniversary. pic.twitter.com/OtvNtVkBAD

— ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2017

According to Deccan Chronicle, Chief Minister K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam will be leading a mammoth procession in Chennai. The procession began at 10 am from Anna statue and will end at Jayalalithaa’s memorial at Marina beach where party members will pay floral tributes to “Puratchi thalaivi (revolutionary leader). [caption id=“attachment_4242763” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Jayalalithaa. Reuters[/caption] Speaking about the event, both the leaders recalled former chief minister’s legacy.  “While she passed away, none can remove her from our hearts”, The Times of India quoted the chief minister and deputy chief minister as saying. While, the Dhinakaran (his name is also spelled Dinakaran) faction of the party too will hold a silent procession to mark Jayalalithaa’s death anniversary. The party leaders will pay floral tributes and take pledge, the report added. Deepa Jayakumar accompanied by her supporters, too, would pay their tributes at the Marina memorial,  Deccan Chronicle reported. Meanwhile, the Madras High Court rejected a petition forbidding the Tamil Nadu government from observing Jayalalithaa’s death anniversary since her date of death is “disputed”. “With greatest respect, the court cannot adjudicate disputes with regard to the dates of death of any person”, the court observed, according to  The New Indian Express reported. In his PIL, advocate R Kumaravel of Villivakkam in Chennai had stated that the state government had set Justice A Arumughaswamy commission of inquiry to probe the former chief minister’s death, it should desist from observing 5 December as her death anniversary and wait for the commission to declare the date of her death. Jayalalithaa passed away a year ago after a prolonged illness. With inputs from PTI