Modi visits Jaya -pays rich tributes

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has visited long term friend and key ally  Jayalalithha and paid his last respects and floral tributes  along with Governor Vidyasagar Rao and Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu in Chennai. He also met lot of local leaders and conveyed his sympathies for them.

PM looked cool and composed. He was there for some time meeting people and consoling them mingling with them and holding hands. He placed a wreath for Jayalalithaa and stood their with folded hands while Sasikala looked on. He also met the new CM Pannerselvam here and consoled him. He was wearing a white Kurta. No nehru coat, no shawl on his shoulder. He was emotional also. He even put his hand on the fore head of Sasikala and consoled her.

Narendra Modi who enjoyed a good personal equation with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, tonight expressed deep sadness over her demise and said it has left “a huge void in Indian politics”.

Hailing the AIADMK supremo who passed away at a Chennai hospital tonight, PM Modi said her connect with citizens, concern for welfare of the poor, the women and marginalised will always be “a source of inspiration”.

He said he would always cherish the innumerable occasions when “I had the opportunity to interact with Jayalalithaaji. May her soul rest in peace.”

Jayalalithaa, a popular leader who showered the poor with populist programmes and a pole in state politics for three decades, died at a private hospital in Chennai after battling for life for the past 75 days.

The 68-year-old leader, who suffered a massive cardiac arrest on Sunday evening, passed away at 11:30 pm on Monday, the Apollo Hospitals said in a statement.