RAMANATHAPURAM: The Muthuramalinga Thevar guru pooja was celebrated in a grand and peaceful manner at Pasumpon in the district on Sunday. Finance Minister O Panneerselvam along with nine of his Cabinet colleagues paid respects at the memorial of U Muthuramalinga Thevar to mark his 104th birth anniversary. However, Thevar followers were disappointed over the absence of Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa who had last year promised to donate a golden shield (Kavasam) to the community leader’s statue at the memorial. Jayalalithaa paid floral tributes to the freedom fighter’s statue at Nandanam in Chennai. Minister for Information, Law, Courts and Prisons G Senthamizhan, AIADMK presidium chairman Madusudanan, MDMK general secretary Vaiko and Moovendar Munnnai Kazhagam functionaries also paid tributes at the statue. An uneasy calm prevailed in Ramanathapuram district as retaliation from certain elements displeased with the September 11 Paramakudi police firing was feared. In this wake, tight police security was provided in all the southern districts.The third day’s function started with special poojas at the memorial. Thevar followers made a beeline to the memorial since morning. Apart from Panneerselvam, Electricity Minister Natham R Viswanathan, Rural Development Minister K P Munusamy, Tourism Minister S Gokula Indira, Information Technology Minister R B Udhayakumar, Cooperation Minister Sellur K Raju, Housing Minister R Vaithilingam, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister S P Shanmuganathan, Khadi and Village Industries Minister P Chendur Pandian and Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Minister N Subramanian paid respects at the memorial. DMK treasurer M K Stalin did not mince words for Jayalalithaa when he visited Pasumpon. He said the DMK functionaries visited the Thevar memorial every year and not just when elections were round the corner. “The Chief Minister had promised to donate a golden shield in the run-up to the Assembly polls. She will come here again during the parliamentary polls,” he quipped.Paying tributes at the memorial, Thirunavukarasar of the Congress appealed to the government to name Madurai airport after Muthuramalinga Thevar.Interestingly, no flex boards in support of any leader was seen near the memorial site, thanks to the warning from the district administration. Also drum beating was absent, bringing down the real charm.Functions to mark the Thevar Jayanthi were held in other districts also. In Madurai, thousands paid tributes to the Thevar statue, while women took out ‘mulaipari’ procession. From morning, the supporters converged near the statue to perform ‘Palabhishekam’. A statue at the Pookara Street in Thanjavur was garlanded.
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