Jaya statue row: Veterans point to GO she issued

As controversy erupted in Vellore and Tiruvannamalai over the denial of permission to set up statues of late chief minister J Jayalalithaa, sources said it was due to the lack of awareness about a government order issued in 2002, by the then Jayalalithaa government, on setting up statues. 

AIADMK cadres were annoyed when Vellore collector SA Raman refused permission to set up a Jaya statue in front of the collector’s office, on Tuesday. Similar reactions were expressed in Tiruvannamalai, too, after revenue and police officials removed statues of former chief ministers MG Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa that were erected without proper permission. However, according to senior party functionaries, the order had clearly mentioned that the statue should be made of bronze, and not cement or Plaster of Paris. 

“Copies of the GO were sent to district office bearers throughout the state then. But the present office bearers are unaware it,” said a former district secretary. 

On Tuesday, when commercial taxes minister and Vellore west district secretary KC Veeramani visited Vellore, Sathuvachary division secretary APL Sundaram submitted a request, which was forwarded to the collector. But this was rejected due to the government order. What has irked the cadre is that the statue that Veeramani unveiled near the Kamaraj bridge in Gudiyattam a month ago was made of Plaster of Paris, even as permission was denied for a similar statue in Vellore. “What happened to the norms when the minister unveiled that statue,” asked a cadre.