Floral tributes paid to Kamaraj, CM inaugurates memorial

Chennai

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Monday inaugurated a memorial of former Chief Minister K Kamaraj to mark his 117th birth anniversary, even as leaders of various political parties paid floral tributes to mark the occasion.

Palaniswami inaugurated the memorial through video conferencing from the State Secretariat. The memorial was built in a 12 acre area at the entry point of Virudhunagar on Madurai-Tirunelveli Highway, an official release said.

The memorial houses a life size statue of Kamaraj embracing children and a 50 ft flame, besides an artificial fountain.

The release said the memorial would soon have flower park, a restaurant, a replica of the house of Kamaraj, a conference hall and meditation hall.

Kamaraj, the architect of the mid day meal scheme to attract children to schools, hailed from the southern Virudhunagar district of the State.

Meanwhile, leaders of various political parties paid floral tributes to the late leader on the occasion.

Information and Publicity Minister Kadambur Raju garlanded the statue of Kamaraj at the newly inaugurated memorial.

On behalf of the State government, Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar and other Ministers garlanded his statue on the Marina beach front and paid floral tributes to a decorate portrait of Kamaraj.

Leaders of various parties also paid tributes to the late leader to mark the occasion.