Peace rally on Jaya's third death anniv

Chennai: The ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) held a peace rally here on Thursday to mark the third death anniversary of late party supremo and Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and vowed to be united and win the upcoming polls to

rural civic bodies in Tamil Nadu.

Clad in black shirts, AIADMK coordinator and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, party co-coordinator and Chief Minister K Palaniswami led a silent march from Anna Salai- Walajah Road junction upto the samadhi of Jayalalithaa on Marina beach, a distance of about 1.5 km.

The leaders paid homage by placing wreaths and showering flower petals at her samadhi and observed a two minute silence.

Panneerselvam, after paying homage, administered a pledge to party workers and all of them vowed to win hands down the upcoming polls to rural civic bodies in Tamil Nadu by being united and through hard work, just like they won the recent bypolls to Vikravandi and Nanguneri Assembly

constituencies.

"Rather than asking what the party did for you, let us ask what we did for the party and let us work with unity for the people," Panneerselvam

said.

The AIADMK leaders also vowed to be true loyalists to the party following the way shown by "Puratchi Thalaivi Amma," (Revolutionary leader, mother) and continue to tell the people the growth achieved by Tamil Nadu as a result of her initiatives and welfare schemes of the AIADMK government to expand the footprint of the party in the State.

The pledge also hailed the late leader, who died in Apollo Hospital here on December 5, 2016 after 75 days of hospitalisation, for "creating a new history in Tamil Nadu politics," and her stellar work without respite for people's welfare; to promote social justice, emancipation of women and secularism.

Palaniswami, in brief remarks, hailed Jayalalithaa for her "historic achievements," and relentless work for people's welfare even at the cost of her health and said her memories continue to be etched in people's minds.