Veda Nilayam: Once the power centre, now a memorial

The opening ceremony of Veda Nilayam memorial, the residence of late Chief Minister and AIADMK supremo, J Jayalalithaa was held in Chennai on Thursday (January 28).

In a simple function, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami unveiled a plaque that declared the Veda Nilayam residence, where the late leader lived -in posh Poes Garden area, a memorial in her honour and following takeover of the residential property by the government.

Palaniswami, flanked by his cabinet colleagues, including Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal paid floral tributes to a portrait of Jayalalithaa and they lit a traditional lamp symbolising the opening of the memorial.

Also read: Jayalalithaa’s ‘White House’: The cynosure of cadre, rivals and public eyes 

The Madras High Court, on Wednesday (January 27),  allowed the government to go ahead with the opening ceremony but ordered that the building shall not be thrown open to the public.

Passing interim order on petitions by Deepak and Deepa,
nephew and niece of the late AIADMK supremo seeking a stay on the inauguration, the court ordered that the opening ceremony alone can take place as scheduled.

The duo filed separate petitions challenging the government notification for acquisition of Veda Nilayam to
convert it into a memorial and the award passed by the Land
Acquisition Officer.

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Also, Palaniswami opened a life size statue (about nine
feet high) of Jayalalithaa in the premises of a state-run
college on Kamarajar Salai in front of Marina beach and
paid floral tributes to her.

On August 17, 2017, Chief Minister K Palaniswami had
announced that Veda Nilayam would be converted into a memorial and opened to public in remembrance of her achievements and service to the people.

The Tamil Nadu Assembly had in September 2020 adopted a
Bill to replace an ordinance issued for possession of the late
Chief Ministers residence here and to facilitate vesting of
movable properties therein with the government.