Former AIADMK General Secretary VK Sasikala heading back to Chennai after her release from the Parappana Agrahara prison in Karnataka has set new waves in Tamil Nadu political circles, of late. 4 days after completing her four-year jail term and hours after her discharge from hospital, Sasikala was spotted in late J Jayalalithaa’s trademark Toyota Prado vehicle with an AIADMK flag on it, boosting the morale of her ardent followers waiting for her release.
These signals sent by Sasikala over her political comeback which apparently didn’t go well with CM Palaniswamy. In a hit back development, CM Edappadi K Palaniswami chose to temporarily seal off the phoenix-themed Jayalalithaa memorial that was opened in Chennai on January 27.
Though the government claims it to be a sheer coincidence to enable the ongoing works at the monument, Sasikala’s supporters allege that it is being deliberately planned to prevent her from visiting the memorial. To recall, Sasikala before her imprisonment in 2017 had gone to Jayalalithaa’s grave and took three vows – promising to overcome hurdles, treachery and the plot against her.
The state government hurriedly opening and then closing the memorial right before Sasikala’s return has raised speculations in political circles.
