India

People grieve as Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa breathes her last

After an uncertainty-filled 75 days in hospital, and a tense final 24 hours, Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa, Amma to millions of Tamils and godmother to legions of AIADMK cadres, was declared dead close to midnight of Monday by Apollo Hospitals. She was 68.

A popular and prolific filmstar, Jayalalithaa went on to become a four-term and six-time chief minister — she had to step down in 2001 and 2014 following court judgments+ in corruption-related cases, but was subsequently acquitted and re-instated. She is only the second CM in almost 30 years, besides J&K’s Mufti, to die of natural causes while still in office.

“It is with indescribable grief we announce the sad demise of our esteemed honourable chief minister of Tamil Nadu Puratchithalavi Amma at 11.30pm today,” a midnight statement from the hospital said. The state has announced seven days’ mourning.

Draped in the Tricolour, the body of the AIADMK leader was kept at the Rajaji Hall, a British-era building in Chennai, where teary-eyed people paid homage to the six-time chief minister.

The government said the cremation of Jayalalithaa – popularly known as “Amma” — will take place at 4.30 pm near the iconic Marina beach, at the memorial site of her mentor and former chief minister MG Ramachandran.

The state government declared a seven-day mourning period beginning Tuesday. Schools, colleges, offices and businesses were to be closed for the next three days, which have been designated a public holiday in the state.

Jayalalithaa will be accorded a state funeral. Flags will be flown at half mast. The Centre has declared a one-day mourning at the chief minister’s demise.

The past 24 hours witnessed considerable anxiety, tension and uncertainty across the state. While millions spent a sleepless night and a day with prayers, the AIADMK readied itself for the eventuality and elected OPS as the legislature party leader.

“Our beloved leader, The Iron Lady of India … is no more,” tweeted her AIADMK party, the third-largest party the Lok Sabha, on Monday night, drawing howls of grief and tears from the crowd of supporters outside the hospital. Rumours earlier in the evening that she had died, which proved to be false, led to brief unrest.

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