TN govt to recommend Bharat Ratna for Jayalalithaa, life-size bronze statue at Parliament

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Cabinet under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister O Paneerselvam passed a resolution on Saturday urging the central government to award former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa with India's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna. 

Confirming the news, AIADMK said in a Twitter post, "The Tamil Nadu govt passes resolution to recommend Bharat Ratna for Jayalalithaa, life-size bronze statue at Parliament."

Tamil Nadu Cabinet resolves to recommend Union Government to bestow Bharat Ratna to Puratchi Thalaivi Amma & install her statue n Parliament — AIADMK (@AIADMKOfficial) December 10, 2016

In its first meeting chaired by Chief Minister Panneerselvam after Jayalalithaa's demise, the Cabinet also decided to recommend to the Centre to install a life-size memorial built in the name of Jayalalithaa in Parliament complex at the cost of Rs 15 crore. 

The government has also decided to rename the MGR memorial as Bharat Ratna Dr. MR and Jayalalithaa memorial'. In addition, the Cabinet also proposed to unveil a portrait of the leader in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.

The state government further requested the Centre to install a full-sized bronze statue on the Parliament campus. 

Jayalalithaa, 68, was admitted to Chennai's Apollo Hospitals on September 22 after she complaint of dehydration and fever. Three months later, on December 5, Jayalalithaa died in the hospital, a day after she suffered a massive cardiac arrest. 

Her body was buried beside her mentor and former chief minister MG Ramachandran at Chennai's Marina Beach, Ramachandran at Chennai's Marina Beach, MGR memorial.