AIADMK founder MGR remembered on his 104th birth anniversary

AIADMK founder and former Chief Minister M G Ramachandran was paid rich tributes and remembered on his 104th birth anniversary on Sunday by leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Bharat Ratna MGR lives in the hearts of several people. Be it the world of films or politics, he was widely respected," Modi tweeted.

"During his CM tenures, he initiated numerous efforts towards poverty alleviation and also emphasised on women empowerment. Tributes to MGR on his Jayanti," the prime minister said.

Leading the birth anniversary celebrations in Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister K Palaniswami said the late leader slogged for the welfare of the people and devised many schemes for the benefit of poor and ordinary people.

Deputy Chief Minister O Panneersevlam, showering encomiums on MGR, said the former Chief Minister lived in the hearts of the people.

Panneerselvam and Palaniswami, coordinator and co-coordinator of AIADMK respectively visited the party headquarters here and garlanded the statue of MGR and hoisted the party flag. The two top party leaders distributed sweets to the cadres and gave away welfare assistance to beneficiaries.

AIADMK functionaries organised functions in several parts of the state, paid floral tributes to the late leader and held mass feeding programmes.

In Puducherry, Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, Congress MLAs and AIADMK office-bearers, A Anbalagan and Om Sakthi Segar were among those who paid homage to the late leader.

In Delhi, AIADMK Rajya Sabha member A Vijayakumar garlanded the statue of MGR in the Parliament premises, a party release said.

Makkal Needhi Maiam chief Kamal Haasan, who latched on to the late leader's welfare legacy in his ongoing poll propaganda denied that he had 'all of a sudden' clung on to MGR's legacy. Haasan garlanded a statue of MGR and paid rich tributes to him.

Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary TTV Dhinakaran was among the others who paid floral tributes to a statue of the leader here.

In Tamil Nadu, Assembly elections are due during April-May this year.

M G Ramachandran, popularly known as MGR was the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu between 1977-87. He joined the DMK in the early 1950s inspired by its founder C N Annadurai and propagated the party ideology in his films.

A superstar and colossus of the Tamil film world (from 1950's to mid-1970's), MGR founded the AIADMK in 1972 following differences with then party top leader and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi.

Born on January 17, 1917, MGR died on December 24, 1987.