Chennai: Chief Minister E Palaniswami has called actor Prabhu and apologised in advance for not being able to attend the inauguration of Sivaji Ganesan’s memorial in Chennai scheduled for October 1. The AIADMK leader has told the actor that deputy CM O Panneerselvam would be present for the event.
Prabhu had earlier written to state Information and Broadcasting Minister claiming that he was ‘insulted’ that both the CM and deputy CM had decided not to attend the event organised for his father.
State I&B Minister K Raju was scheduled to inaugurate the memorial after the CM had stated ‘prior commitments’ over his absence.
In a statement here, Palansiwami said though he desired to inaugurate the memorial following a request made by the actor's family, he would not be able to do so as he would be out of town to take part in other functions that he had already agreed to attend.
He said he had issued orders that the memorial would be inaugurated on October one coinciding with the actor's birth anniversary.
"Though I was eager to inaugurate the memorial on my own, I will not be able to do so as I will be out of town to take part in other functions that I have already accepted. Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam will inaugurate the memorial on October one..," Palaniswami said.
Fisheries minister D Jayakumar will preside over the function along with the Information and Publicity minister, he said.
On August 4, 2016, actor Sivaji’s statue was removed from Kamarajar Salai in Chennai following the Madras High Court's directive asking the state government to shift the statue’s location.
The 28,300 sq ft memorial has been built by the Public Works Department at a cost of Rs 2.80 crore at Adyar here in the Dravidian style of architecture.
In 2015, then chief minister Jayalalithaa had announced in the Assembly that a memorial will be built honouring Sivaji Ganesan, who ruled the Tamil film world since 1950s.
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